Honesty and Lies
by BloodFromTheThorn
Summary: They'd agreed: Loki was insane. So why exactly were they trusting him again? Shady deals with a trickster and the threat of the end of the world - must be a Thursday. No slash, post movie. Tony and Loki whump but features the whole team. Some Pepperony.
1. Chapter 1

Tony probably should have been more alarmed at the sudden appearance of a demi god in his living room but after four days without sleep he was too exhausted to muster up anything stronger than a sigh. If the alarmed look on Thor's face was any indication, the billionaire wasn't going to be getting any of that rest he had been looking forward to for a while yet.

There was a long moment where neither of them spoke. Tony looked at the blonde god with a distinctly unimpressed expression, completely with raised eyebrow, while Thor's eyes danced around the room in a wild panic before finally stilling on his teammate's face.

"Man of Iron, you are safe?" Tony blinked at him, forcing aside his exhaustion to dredge up some of that normally irrepressible wit.

"Looks like, Goldilocks. Should I not be?" His voice was scratched from days without sufficient hydration (according to Pepper several cups of coffee every few hours did not class as sufficient) but he spoke through the burn.

"I feared that you were in great danger."

"I usually am; part of being a superhero. But I'm guessing you're being more specific...?" Tony was too tired to deal with this right now. A small part of his mind started weighing up the pros and cons of just turning Thor over to Fury and being done with the whole thing - it was definitely a possibility.

"I thought that my brother would come here first seeking vengeance but it seems I was mistaken, praise the Allfather." The words flowed out of the god in a rush, his shoulders sagging in obvious relief. "This means that we have some time to prepare for an attack-" Tony cut him off.

"Wait, wait, your _brother? _You mean _Loki? _The very same Loki that's meant to be rotting in a cell in Asgard?" Tony's mind went entirely blank for half a second before black rage leapt up within him. "If you dare tell me you _let him go _I promise-" The god cut him off with an agitated wave of his hand.

"We did no such thing! My brother is a master of magic and managed to slip past his captors without even the watcher Heimdall noticing his absence." He sounded defensive but Tony could see shame in those eyes that told him Thor was blaming himself for the lapse. The billionaire had to take a moment to stop himself from punching something before he took a deep breath to calm himself and forced his mind to focus despite the fatigue that scattered his thoughts.

"And he's come back to Earth?" The solid edge to his voice was unmistakable.

"We cannot be certain. Loki has powers beyond most Aesir and can travel between the realms without the aid of the Bifrost - he could have gone anywhere."

"So, we have no way of telling where he is?" The anger was building again - he was too tired for this. "Well gee Thor, I don't know quite what _justice _means on Asgard but here on Earth we don't just let the criminals go whenever they-"

"We did not let him go!" Thor snapped, every inch of his body vibrating with sudden fury before he sighed softly, letting the tension drain out of his shoulders; Tony felt his heart beating in his throat, suddenly reminded of his startling disadvantage if this descended into violence. "I know that we have made a mistake in underestimating Loki's powers, but you must understand that on Asgard very little is known about sorcery. We did not know what to expect."

There was a momentary pause in which Tony rubbed at his eyes to try and muster some wakefulness from within him. Thor looked around the room edgily again, as though he was expecting a rageful god to dart at him from the shadows.

"We cannot say for certain where Loki has gone but I know my brother, even now. He has always had a keen need to settle debts or to deal out revenge where he feel it is deserved. It would be unlike him to not seek to harm you and the rest of the Avengers."

"So, there's a crazy Norse god who happens to be a master of magic that's gunning for us? Well, that's just brilliant."

"I do not see what is 'brilliant' about this situation," Thor said, confusion wiping the anxiety off his face for a moment. Tony almost laughed.

"Sarcasm, Point Break but nevermind. Jarivs?" He took sadistic pleasure in watching the god jump out of his skin when the British voice answered him from nowhere.

"Yes Sir?"

"Get on communications, I want the team here _now_. Please also tell Fury to wake his ass up, we have a situation."

"I shall relay the message Sir."

"Do remember to be gentle when waking Bruce," Tony told him but the AI didn't respond. He couldn't really fault him.

* * *

Thanks to Tony's brilliant idea for the team to live in the tower until a proper headquarters could be established, it took less than five minutes for the rest of the team to pile into the living room of the penthouse, most wiping traces of sleep from their faces. Only Natasha looked as though she was completely alert but the billionaire had a sneaking suspicion that it was only a front she was putting on for appearances sake.

"So, we have a problem," he told them, his voice light but an annoyed curl to his lips that the others took note of immediately.

"Something serious?" Steve might have looked as though he had just rolled out of bed and yet he still managed to present an impressive persona, slipping into Captain-mode without any hesitation.

"Depends. Does having Loki coming after us class as serious?" Tony widened his eyes to look innocent but he still received several glares when the surprise had slipped from their faces.

_"Loki?"_ Barton snapped, his whole body as tense as his bow string as his fingers curled themselves into claws. Natasha very subtly slid closer to his shoulder.

"I regret to say that my brother has managed to evade his guards," Thor told them, solemnity written in every line of his face. "I fear that he intends to seek revenge for his defeat."

"Come now Thor, you make me sound like some mindless beast. Give me more credit than that."

The new voice had every single person in the room tensing, reaching for whatever weapon was closest to hand and spinning around to face the seventh figure in the corner. Lurking in the shadows was a man that Tony had hoped he would never have to see again, let alone in the same room he had been launched out of by the god that was leaning on his wall, idly observing his fingernails, looking to be completely at ease. He appeared entirely unconcerned that he was suddenly faced with six different people that were fully willing to attack.

"Brother, what-" Thor started but stopped himself when a hiss escaped through Loki's teeth.

"By the Norns what must I do to stop you calling me that? We are _not _brothers." The blonde god looked as though he was about to argue right back but Loki kept talking over whatever response the thunderer was going to give. "And all of you can calm yourselves. I have not come here to attack you."

Clint almost snarled at the man. "I don't care," he retorted sharply and half lunged for the god who made no move to defend himself other than holding up his hand, palm pointed at the archer who hesitated when green light cracked across the skin.

"I'm not here to attack but do not misunderstand me. I will defend myself." As he spoke he lowered his hand again, his point made. The team was unprepared, Tony was out of his suit, Cap didn't have his shield and Barton didn't have his bow. At least Thor had his hammer the billionaire thought to himself, eyeing the trickster warily.

"If you're not attacking, have you come to gloat? I doubt this is a social call," Tony mocked, his tone unforgiving. He was stressed and tired and he really didn't want to have to deal with this right now; he had just wanted to go to bed, was that really so hard?

"Maybe I came to collect on that drink I was offered," Loki shot back, a cruel smirk curling his lips while his eyes darted around the team for any possible threat. He still hadn't risen from where he was leaning against the wall. The comment actually managed to drag a laugh from the billionaire who found that in his muddled state he couldn't quite control his natural response to humour - Steve glared at him like he was mad. He might be, he thought all of a sudden - the tension in the room was palpable and here he was laughing at an insane god that had just teleported into his home.

"Brother, you cannot be here," Thor stepped in, trying to somehow diffuse the situation. His voice was pleading, hands raised in what was meant to be a placating gesture. "You are wanted on Asgard for crimes against the realms and I am bound by duty-"

"To deliver me back to Odin without question, yes, I know," Loki finished dryly. "If you really want to try, you're quite welcome to. But my promise of defence goes to you as well; I will not surrender to imprisonment." Thor looked a little bit heartbroken but said nothing else, clearly torn. "Maybe you will listen what I have to say instead of just blindly following your orders like always." The sharpness in that tone made it clear that there was a story there and Tony was a little overcome by curiosity but he reined it back in with some effort. Gods he needed sleep.

"Why should we listen to you? All you do is lie and scheme," Steve shot at him, his muscles bunched so tightly it was a wonder he could still get words past his clenched teeth. Beside him Bruce was vibrating like a tuning fork, flashes of electric green pulsing across his face in time with his racing heart but for now, the Hulk was contained. Natasha had one hand on Clint's bicep, whether for comfort or to hold him back Tony wasn't sure.

"God of Lies I may be but if you think that's all there is to me you are gravely mistaken my dear Captain," Loki told him with a smile that was almost mocking. "I am truthful when it suits me."

"And how do we know it suits you?" Tony's brain was finally kicking into gear and he found himself racing through different scenarios that almost all ended in disaster.

"You don't. But I would ask that you hear me and then make your decision. No harm can come of hearing me out, surely?" Having absolutely zero idea what to do Tony turned to Steve - the official leader of the team - who just looked at Thor, acknowledging him as the authority when it came to Loki. The blonde god just looked at his brother for a long moment, taking in his laid back stance, the lack of threats and the general aura of 'white flag' that surrounded the younger god. For his part, Loki just looked right back, unwavering under the gaze.

"Speak, brother. But know that if you try to trick us we will not hesitate to defend _ourselves _or others of this world."

Loki nodded his head agreeably at the terms, not losing his relaxed posture. "A fair deal," he murmured, before he shifted slightly as though he tried to stand then aborted the motion. A soft sigh escaped him and something that might have been irritation flickered across his face.

"Stand up," Tony demanded suddenly, something clicking into place in his head. Loki actually looked a little startled.

"I- What?"

"You heard me."

"Why?"

"Do you want us to listen to you or not? Stand. Up." Loki looked like he wanted to peel off his skin with a rusty knife but he didn't make a single move to push himself upright, glowering for all he was worth. "You can't do it can you?" The dark haired god was visibly seething but he still didn't do as he was asked, not acknowledging the question.

"Brother? What is wrong?"

There was another faint hiss from the trickster. "I understand your knowledge of magic is stinted Thor but surely even you can connect the dots if a simple mortal can," he said after a moment, the words biting. "I had to resort to magic to escape from my cell and then more to travel the hidden trails of Yggdrasil and after that I still had to teleport myself here, all the while making sure that I was hidden from those searching for me." His words were fast, stressed but he remained firm, clearly expecting the elder god to get the hint; he didn't.

Tony sighed to himself. A genius he might be, but wasn't it obvious? According to the looks the rest of the team were sharing apparently it wasn't.

"Seriously people?" He asked incredulously. "God or not, he's exhausted."

All eyes in the room slipped back to Loki (not that they'd ever strayed far) and they finally took note of the unnatural pallor to his skin, the way the wall was taking most of his weight so that his legs wouldn't have to. A closer inspection revealed scuff marks on his leather and a very slight tremble in his limbs. Despite the scrutiny the trickster kept his eyes on Stark, never wavering from his face; it was more than a little unnerving.

"You're observant, for a mortal."

"I'm not your average joe." Even though Loki clearly didn't know the term, he seemed to understand the general gist.

"So it would seem. Will you hear me out anyway? Or are we to fight after all?" He sounded somewhat downhearted, like the weight of the world had just come crashing down on him and he couldn't take the strain. His eyes had filled with a weariness that made him look a thousand years old (he probably was, but that wasn't the point) and Tony suddenly understood that he had lost his leverage: the god was too tired to take them all on, for all his threats he couldn't defend himself for long.

"It's our job to capture him," Clint spat, directing his words at Steve, deferring to his leadership. Anger pulsed across his face in a visible display of emotion they wouldn't normally have associated with the assassin.

"I say we hear what he has to say," Tony told them lightly, partly just for argument's sake and partly because he was genuinely curious. Everyone but Thor looked at him like he had suddenly grown a second head.

"You cannot be serious. Even you're not that suicidally reckless."

"Well that's a matter of opinion. But I _am_ serious. Look at him for Christ's sake!" He gestured wildly at the god who just raised an eyebrow, apparently unwilling to argue his cause further and letting them fight amongst themselves. "In case you had forgotten, he's not stupid. He wasn't just going to waltz in here unable to defend himself unless he had no other choice. I'm pretty sure something bigger is at work here."

"The Man of Iron is right," Thor declared, clearly delighted to have an ally fighting his corner. "We should hear what my brother would tell us."

Everyone on the team (with the exception of Bruce who was too busy trying not to explode to really focus on anything else) looked at Steve, waiting for him to make a decision. The soldier looked around everyone's face, from Clint's anger to Natasha's impassive mask and then to Tony and Thor's quiet surety. After a long moment his blue eyes fell on the god who was starting to look worse by the minute, clearly in bad shape and yet still oozing with confidence as though he wasn't aware how much of a threat the team was to him.

"I'm sorry Clint, but we should listen," he said eventually, making sure that his voice didn't waver. The archer let out a strange strangled noise of anger, fists tightening in withheld fury; he looked like he wanted to storm away but he didn't want to turn his back on the enemy.

"Speak then brother. Why did you run from Asgard?"

"Why did I run from yet another cage?" He sounded like he couldn't believe Thor would even ask the question. "Maybe because I tire of being locked away, maybe because I value my freedom more than you can understand. Or maybe it was for the same reason I haven't stopped running since I escaped."

"Something's after you," Tony realised in the pause that followed. "You're in danger."

Loki nodded slowly. "My failure to take this planet from you signed my death sentence among some rather unsavoury characters. My survival depends on being able to stay one step ahead of them." He managed to keep his voice calm and smooth but Tony got the impression that there was deeper emotion there, lingering beneath the surface waiting to burst forth.

"You would have been protected in Asgard brother!" Thor told him, genuine pain written across his features. "I would have made sure no one could harm you."

"You mean besides the torturers of Asgard themselves? I'm sure Odin had them lined up to greet me had I stayed." The blonde god looked furious at the accusation. "Either way, it doesn't matter. You would not have been able to stop them and I couldn't defend myself from a cell."

"Our warriors would not-"

"_Your _warriors couldn't keep me in a locked cell. I find it unlikely they could have kept out the armies that are marching for me." Loki finally forced himself off the wall, propping one of his arms against it to brace himself as his legs trembled beneath him. "I do not expect any of you to care for my fate, in fact I'm sure most of you would welcome news of my death but this threat extends further than you know. I failed the Chitauri and their masters but you are the ones that destroyed the army."

"Is that a threat?" Clint's voice was deadly.

"A warning. I care not what you think of me but know that as soon as I am dead there will be monsters on your tail that you can hardly dream of." There was a moment of tense silence broken only by Loki's laboured breathing; he really was dead on his feet.

"So why the heads up?" Tony asked, still a little unnerved by this whole encounter. There was something major that he was missing, a variable he couldn't fathom and it was ridiculously irritating. "You're not warning us out of the goodness of your heart - I get the feeling you don't do anything unless it's profitable for you. Besides you want us dead as badly as these 'enemies' of yours."

"I have no way to make you believe me of course but your fates actually mean very little to me. Live or die, I do not care. My own existence however means somewhat more and for that I..." He hesitated, looking uncertain for the first time while his lips curled in something that spoke of disgust. "I require your aid."

Tony couldn't help it. He laughed. A full, deep laugh that burst from his lips like water, doubling him over and forcing tears to his eyes. He was vaguely aware of Clint doing the same and a smile curving Natasha's normally impassive face - Steve just looked like he was in shock. Bruce was still a little too preoccupied to do anything more than blink at the admission.

At Loki's words Thor's face had split into the brightest smile Tony had ever seen there, though it slipped away almost instantly when the others laughed as great offence took its place. Realising that he was half a step away from getting Mjölnir through his head the billionaire bit his lip hard enough to draw blood and straightened, doing his best to regain some form of composure. Once he was breathing somewhat normally again he chanced a glance back at Loki.

The god hadn't moved an inch and his expression hadn't flickered even slightly as though he was completely untouched by them laughing in his face but Tony knew (he didn't know how, it must have been that instinct that everyone was always talking about) that on some level they had just hurt him. An impressive mask it must be to hide something like that without even the slightest crack.

"You want protection?" He asked once Clint had quieted enough for them to be heard.

"Nothing quite so pathetic, I assure you." That biting tone was back, hinting at the anger they had just inspired with their own cruelty.

_'No! You are not going to feel guilty for hurting the nutjob that tried to destroy the world,' _he told himself firmly but it didn't really help. Tony hurt everyone he came into contact with, he knew that.

"Then what?" Steve had taken over, apparently having recovered enough to carry a conversation again. "What could we possibly offer you?"

"Right now? Somewhere to rest." It was clear that he was deadly serious. "As you have said, I am in desperate need of respite and as difficult as this might be to believe, this is the safest place for me."

"And we're going to help you why exactly? Inviting you in is just setting ourselves up for betrayal and apart from Thor, I don't think any of us would give a damn if you died," Tony told him bluntly. "Well, Clint might be a little put out that he wasn't the one to do it himself I suppose."

"I did not come here to beg," Loki snapped. "I came to offer a deal."

"And what deal would that be exactly?"

"You'll allow me to remain here - uncaged this time - and in return you have my allegiance against the ones that are coming. I know how to fight them, their strengths and weaknesses and I know how to win. But I cannot do it alone."

"Something such as that requires a great amount of trust from Midgard brother," Thor intoned quietly, looking more unhappy than Tony had ever seen him. A tidal wave of sympathy washed over him and he suddenly saw a new side to the god - after all he knew what it felt like to make the difficult call when everyone scorned you for it. Loki didn't respond to that for a long moment, long enough that the billionaire stopped waiting for a response but eventually the dark haired god sighed.

"I know that." He said something else then, something that Tony didn't understand (presumably something in Aesir) but it changed something within Thor. His shoulders broadened and his face hardened slightly.

"I know that you have little reason to trust my brother," he told them, turning his back on said trickster to face them, "but he speaks true. If we are to win this fight we need his help."

"No!" Clint snapped, his face outraged. "You can't ask me to trust that freak when he spent all that time rummaging around in my head, making me _kill _my own people! My _friends!_" Natasha's hand hadn't released his arm and she squeezed it softly, a silent gesture of support.

"Clint's right Thor. We can't just forget everything he's done," Steve chimed in, determined to be ruled by that sense of duty it was impossible to crush out of him. The blonde god didn't have an answer to that and heartbreak flashed across his face briefly.

Loki, for his part, didn't show much of a response to the reply though that weariness was back in his eyes, his shoulders sagging just a little bit more under the weight of his own, impending doom. Anyone could see that he knew what this meant - he was walking to his death. A brief, bitter laugh slipped from his lips, possibly the most painful thing Tony had ever heard.

"So be it. I'll not trouble you again. Goodnight Avengers," he told them, bowing his head slightly. Green light flickered across his skin again, building in brightness until it had almost consumed him.

"Brother! Wait!" Loki paused in his teleportation to glance at Thor. "I would come with you." Everyone in the room blinked at him (even Bruce which was somewhat impressive given that the man was a terribly unhealthy shade of green). "I'll not abandon you to them." The younger god frowned and the magic around him faded slightly as he considered the proposal.

Eventually though he shook his head, almost sadly.

"Why do you still call me brother? We share no blood. I have surely done you more than enough harm to sever any bonds of fellowship that we once shared. I cannot understand it."

"It matters not who is your father by blood Loki," Thor told him, his face earnest. "Neither of us can claim to be sons of Frigga but she is still our mother, just as she always has been. Our blood does not define us."

"That is not so," Loki retorted, trying to appear impassive but failing. "I am a monster Thor, and you would do well to remember that."

"In your own head, I have no doubt. But you don't see what I see."

Loki just sighed again, dropping his eyes to the floor. "You have more heart than anyone I've ever known," he told him after a moment. The green magic flared up again. "Stay and protect Midgard Thor. They will need you soon enough and there is no saving me."

Tony let it get to the moment just before Loki would disappear entirely - because far be it from him to interrupt what was clearly a last goodbye between estranged brothers - before he spoke up.

"Wait!" The light halted again to reveal an irate trickster.

"By the Norns, what else can you possibly want?"

"I was just wondering if you wanted to stay the night?" Everyone turned to look at him, even the Hulk seemed to be surprised enough by that to stop wrestling Bruce for a moment. He shrugged, unapologetic. "You see, we're a team sure. That means we discuss everything and take everyone's opinions on board and it's all very healthy et cetera but this is still my tower. My property, my rules."

"Is this a trick?" Loki took half a step forwards, not daring to look hopeful.

"No trick. I mean it. After all, inviting a crazy god into my home? What could possibly go wrong?"

* * *

_This is a story I've wanted to try for a while now but it's also the first time I've really tried my hand at writing Loki in a proper storyline so I know it was all a bit clunky. I intend to streamline it later on. Also, I find it hard to write scenes with so many different characters in the room - I tend to forget who's where and what they're doing._

_Anyways, I hope it sounds like it could be something interesting. I know similar things have been done before but hey, sue me. I swear I'm not trying to copy anyone else's story and anything that isn't mine will be flagged and credited as appropriate._

_Maybe you could tell me what you thought? I'd really love some feedback on this to know if it's worth continuing or not._


	2. Chapter 2

_Ok, chapter 2.0. The beginning is much the same._

_Also, we're now playing find the Supernatural quote :) smiles and rainbows to whoever spots it._

* * *

It was universally agreed that Fury could not know of this. The man was responsible to a fault (the whole thing with the nuke didn't count) and he would never have just let the trickster be; hell he would have offered him up to whatever enemies he had as a sacrifice. As for the team, there wasn't much left to say - even Clint fell in line with the plan when he realised that there was nothing he could do to stop this, short of betraying the rest of the team and surprisingly it seemed that was a line he was unwilling to cross; the thought of his loyalty warmed Tony in a way he hadn't felt in years.

Once their deal was made and basic ground rules established, Loki had retreated into the offered room with the door firmly locked behind him whereupon - according to Jarvis - he had collapsed on the bed, fully clothed, and hadn't moved since. The AI was carefully monitoring his vitals to make sure that he hadn't just dropped dead.

Thor was full of thanks, the joy practically shining out of him as he pulled Tony into a bone crushing hug and the billionaire couldn't help but think that even if Loki betrayed them and this all went to hell, it was worth it just for that moment of seeing the thunderer more relaxed than he ever had before. He'd never noticed how there was always a guarded tenseness in Thor's shoulders that only worsened whenever Loki was mentioned but now that it was absent the difference was laughable. When Steve saw the change he seemed to switch to the opinion that maybe this was the best course of action after all and his complaints and worries died away into nothingness.

After that, there didn't seem to be anything left they could do.

"Well, this has all been incredibly fascinating but I really need to catch up on some Zs. I'll see you all in the morning," Tony told them with a slight wave, the exhaustion crashing back down on him so fiercely that he actually stumbled before reaching the door. He laughed at himself, somewhat sheepishly but the others let it go without comment - thank god.

His bed was the most welcome sight he'd ever seen and he practically flung himself forwards one to the soft surface, relishing the relief it brought to his muscles.

"What do you think J?" He asked, rolling onto his back to stare at the ceiling. "Is this the most stupid thing I've ever done?"

"I couldn't possibly say Sir," the British voice replied, knowing that seriousness was required for this conversation and ignoring the chance to tease him. "If Mr Laufeyson speaks the truth, it would seem this is the only option you have."

"And if he's lying?"

"Then I fear that we're all in more danger than ever before." Unable to respond to that, Tony just sighed, yanking his t-shirt off then collapsing back onto the covers, passing out within seconds.

* * *

He slept fitfully and when he woke he found his blankets tangled around his shins and sweat drying on his skin. Looking wistfully at the other side of the bed, he sighed when he remembered that Pepper wasn't there to comfort him through the nightmares, instead closing a business deal in China that was too important to stay in New York.

"Jarvis, what time is it?" It was still dark outside the window.

"It is ten minutes to five in the morning Sir. I feel obliged to inform you that your guest is currently pacing the living room."

"Wait, _what?_" Tony said, sitting up and trying to rub the sleep from his eyes. "_Loki?_"

"He woke up several minutes ago after what appeared to be violent nightmares. He has been in the living room since."

"What's he doing?" A thousand scenarios raced through his head and none of them ended prettily - if his spur of the moment decision to let Loki stay here got him killed he was going to be _pissed. _As he spoke he was darting out of his bed and jerking his previously discarded shirt over his head with more force than really necessary, his body trembling with nervous energy.

"It looks like he is simply thinking Sir," Jarvis reported dutifully. That stopped Tony for a moment. Thinking? Not planting bombs or traps or sending a signal to the great mother ship in the sky? Huh.

For a moment he considered climbing back into bed but then shook off the feeling. He was still tired but there was too much adrenaline in his system to ever allow him to fall asleep so for now he was stuck in the world of the waking. Normally in this situation (as if there was a normal when there was a psychotic mass murder pacing in his living room) he would go and pour himself a scotch and then maybe wander down to his lab to tinker until his brain decided that the nightmares were nothing to worry about and finally let him pass out again. The problem was that the bar was in the same room their resident god of mischief had decided to hole himself up in.

"Ah, to hell with it," he muttered aloud to himself. He strode out the door purposefully, mentally preparing himself for what would probably be the most stressful conversation of his life - and that was saying something. When he got to the room in question he did his best not to hesitate upon seeing the dark, imposing shadow besides the window.

As soon as he appeared in the doorframe Loki tensed up like a coiled snake even though he was facing the other way and Tony was sure he hadn't made a sound. Perceptive bastard.

"Evening," he drawled, doing everything he could to make sure the mild terror that gripped him didn't leak into the simple word but even to his own ears he knew he had failed. Was it even possible to lie to the God of Lies?

For his part, Loki said nothing, didn't relax out of his tense stance or even turn to see the mortal that had disturbed him. Tony didn't know if that was a good or bad thing; on the one hand it didn't look as though the god was going to attack without provocation but on the other it was being made clear that Loki didn't consider him a true threat and damn if that wasn't a little bit insulting. Still, if he was being underestimated he had a far greater chance of survival.

Neither of them moved for what felt like an eternity but eventually Tony gave up. If Loki was going to ignore him, he could do the same (mostly - he wasn't stupid enough to forget that there was a god in the room who had enough mental issues to baffle even the most qualified psychiatrists). With that in mind he moved over to the bar, making sure to keep Loki in his eye line at all times and only just managing not to sigh with relief when the solid counter was between them. It wouldn't offer much protection but it was comforting none the less.

He pulled a glass tumbler towards him and poured himself a measure of the amber liquid, making a mental note to wear his homing bracelets for the duration of Loki's stay. He tossed the drink back, savouring the burn as it bled down his throat, warming him in a way nothing else could (except perhaps Pepper) and he couldn't help the breezy sigh that escaped him.

"I was under the impression it was considered inappropriate to drink at this hour." The soft words came so suddenly that Tony actually jumped, his fingers tightening impulsively around the glass in his hand. His eyelids, that had drifted down to half mast, snapped back up and he glared at the god who hadn't yet moved from his spot by the window. Was he _trying _to freak him out? ...Probably.

"It's always 2am somewhere," he defended, more annoyed by the comment that he rationally should have been. Loki didn't reply but somehow Tony felt an aura of amusement fill the space between them - whether at his retort or the fact that the engineer was very obviously unsettled, he didn't know.

The room fell into silence again but for the slight clink of his glass as he refilled it, suddenly needing the comfort of the alcohol more than previously. Tony kept his eyes on the trickster this time, unwilling to let his concentration lapse again so that when Loki finally turned around he instantly stiffened, meeting the emerald eyes that pinned him to his seat with rising trepidation. The god smirked at his discomfort, openly pleased to have proof of how much he intimidated the mortal.

"The last time we stood together in this room you offered me a drink. Is the offer still open? Or are you too incensed by my presence to stand on such civility?" From the grin alighting the tricksters lips, Tony could tell that he was being mocked.

"The last time we stood together in this room you threw me out the window," he retorted, scrabbling desperately within his own mind for the courage he had felt then. "_That _window to be exact," he said, gesturing with the empty glass he still clung to. Again, Loki did nothing other than smirk, a twisted smile that didn't give any impression of happiness - it was actually a little unnerving.

"You needn't be so alarmed by my presence Tony Stark," he said after another long stretch of silence (Tony didn't think he'd ever been so quiet in all his life). "As I promised: if you mean me no harm, you need not fear me."

The engineer forced himself to snort even though he was far too stressed right now to feel any true amusement. "The word of the God of Lies. You'll have to forgive me if I don't find much reassurance."

Loki instantly recoiled, actually taking half a step back and for a split second that had Tony's heart in his throat, pure, unadulterated rage flashed across the god's features, dark and dangerous and oh so terrifying. The engineer's whole body reacted, his muscles bunching beneath his skin and his mind automatically switching into 'fight mode.'

But then the moment was gone as quickly as it had come and the trickster was loosening up again, the menace that surrounded him faded, like smoke dispersing as he tried to appear calmer. His hands didn't relax from the fists that they had formed though, Tony noted.

"Believe me or do not," he spat and though he was clearly trying to speak normally the words were tight with stress and barely concealed rage. "I have a code like any other creature. Man or monster I will keep my word."

Without sparing him another glance, Loki was gone, sweeping out of the room with noticeably less grace than normal (though he still looked like the offspring a ballerina). Tony stood there for another few minutes at least, stunned into stillness, his whole mind whirring over what had just happened.

So Loki had issues with people not trusting him. That was new.

_'Maybe he shouldn't be so damn mysterious all the fucking time then,' _he thought unkindly, still too taken aback by the sudden flash from mischievous to menacing to really think it through.

It took him a long while but eventually he was able to unlock his muscles so that he could put the tumbler in the sink and walk slowly back to his bedroom, still alert for stray demi-gods wandering the corridors. He breathed a sigh of relief when he collapsed onto his bed for the second time that morning.

"Where's Loki now J?" It said a lot that the AI managed to understand him even though the question was muttered into the comforter his face was pressed against.

"He has returned to his room Sir. It would appear he is trying to go back to sleep."

That was... unexpected. Tony had half expected the mentally unstable god to start setting fire to things or something equally as destructive, the other half thought that he was going to just leave; that he had stayed and was apparently content to remain peaceful was strange and spoke of reasoning that the engineer couldn't quite figure out. This Loki was not the Loki that he had met in Stuttgart.

He was tired of thinking. With so many factors he couldn't account for, thousands of years of memories he didn't know, there just wasn't a way to figure the trickster out and maybe Loki was counting on that to give him an advantage but somehow Tony didn't think so. It might be foolish and it would probably get him killed but he believed the god when he said that he wasn't a threat to them (for now, at least). Telling Loki otherwise hadn't gone too well for him anyway.

With a groan, he rolled himself over, taking his weight off the arc reactor that had started making his ribs ache. He didn't think he'd be able to fall asleep with all the thoughts rolling around in his head, but he was happy to be proved wrong.

* * *

Tony hadn't really been expecting Loki to show up for breakfast. He only showed up himself because Natasha had practically broken his door down with her knocking and when he told her to go away, she had sworn at him in Russian and told him that if he didn't get out of bed she would make sure he regretted it. He didn't doubt her.

That was how he found himself sitting at the table with the team, falling in and out of idle conversation while still pondering the strange 'conversation' he had had with Loki. He was half convinced it had been a dream but with a few quick taps of a StarkPad he found the surveillance footage that proved it hadn't been.

"You're very quiet this morning," Bruce mumbled quietly to him eventually, when the food had long since disappeared and Thor had wandered off, saying that he was going to deliver something for Loki to eat since he hadn't joined them. His concern - though touching -was infuriating. Tony almost wanted to shake him in the hopes that answers would fall from his pockets (not that his Aesir clothing had pockets but whatever) but he had a feeling the god wouldn't take it kindly if he started demanding information about his younger brother.

He hesitated only a moment. "I spoke with Loki last night," he replied, waving away the concern that immediately crossed the doctor's face. "I'm alright, he didn't attack me or anything. When I implied that he might he actually seemed offended. Or just really angry. It was a little hard to tell."

"Do you have a death wish or something?" Bruce hissed at him, disbelief thick in his tone. "I understand that he has to stay here but we should keep our distance. He's dangerous Tony."

"You think I don't know that?" If he hadn't been slightly touched at his friend's concern he might have been offended. "It wasn't like I went looking for him or anything. He was in the living room and I needed a drink."

"You couldn't have waited until he'd gone?"

"These guys don't age. He could have been standing there for the next two years and he probably wouldn't even blink." The look Bruce shot him told him exactly what he thought of that defence. He had the good grace to look sheepish. "You know what I'm like with impulse control."

"I do, god help me," he muttered. Tony sent him a fake glare and the doctor shrugged. "I hope you know what you're doing, cause I sure don't."

"Please, do I ever? I'll muddle through, I'm sure. I always do."

"Just promise me that the next time you 'run into him' in the early hours of the morning you'll make sure that you're not entirely defenceless?"

Tony was about to shrug that off with a laugh and a smile but something in Bruce's eyes stopped him from putting on a blasé attitude and instead he nodded solemnly. He pulled up his sleeve briefly to flash the bracelets he'd put on that morning. "I'm protected. At least, as well as I can be. But to be honest, I kind of want to believe that he's going to keep to his end of this deal."

"Don't tell me you actually trust him."

"Of course I don't but at the same time... I don't know. I think he's been waiting for someone to trust him for a long time."

"Whatever that means." Bruce took a second then, examining his friend closely. Eventually he sighed and shook his head. "You might just be setting yourself up for disaster but I trust you Tony. Just please, try not to die."

Tony chuckled, flashing a genuine smile. "I'll do my level best."

It was at that point that Thor reappeared, walking strangely and it took a moment for the engineer to spot the younger brother, trapped against the thunderer's side by an arm that was as thick as his head. Loki looked a little like he was half a step away from tearing their deal to pieces and just killing Thor then and there but he somehow managed to refrain, his eyes glinting with what could only be described as mischief. Tony had the feeling that his blonde friend was about to regret ever thinking forcing his little brother into something was a good idea.

The trick wasn't subtle and they didn't have to wait long. One moment the kitchen was quiet - all of them not quite sure what to say now that there was an ex-enemy in their presence - and then suddenly Thor was yelping in distress and _oh my god did Loki just burst into flames? _A second look confirmed that the dark haired god had apparently set himself ablaze with bright green flames that radiated a heat Tony could feel from across the room, even though the trickster seemed completely unaffected. Thor on the other hand had to leap away, relinquishing his hold on his brother who took the chance to dart for the door, the magical fire vanishing as quickly as it had appeared.

There was a long stillness where the whole team just looked at each other, too stunned to act even though they knew Thor was probably in quite a lot of pain and they had no idea where their resident psychopath had taken off to. It was Tony that broke the moment, shattering it when a startled giggle burst through his lips. _A giggle. _God, his credibility wasn't going to withstand this for much longer.

It said a lot for how well the team knew him by this point that the only reaction he got beyond wide eyed stares was a disapproving "_Tony,_" from Steve. Then Bruce was out of his seat and helping their demi-god into a chair of his own and examining the burns that ran down the underside of his bare arm. His clothes had protected his torso from the brunt of the blaze it would seem and his arm wasn't too badly injured - gods had remarkable resilience and healing rates.

"Can I suggest that we don't force Loki to come to breakfast again?" Barton was eyeing Thor's arm uncertainly; out of everyone, he was by far the most unhappy one about their new companion and this little display hadn't exactly been the olive branch of trust.

"Whilst I hardly think starving him is an option, maybe we should just send food to his room?" Steve suggested and even though Thor looked like it killed him, he nodded in agreement.

"I had hoped that this ceasefire would mean some sort of peace but maybe I have overestimated Loki's tolerance of me," the demi-god admitted, giving an impressive impression of a kicked puppy.

"Don't worry about it big guy," Tony tried to console him. "He's always going to be a wild card. I think the best we can do is expect the unexpected," he told him, trailing off as the StarkPad still in his hand beeped softly at him, displaying surveillance from what he recognised as the door to Loki's borrowed room. He frowned softly. "Like this for example," he said as he flashed the image of the door and the sign that had been drawn on it for Thor to see. "That mean anything to you?"

The god took the pad from him in the hand that Bruce wasn't tending to and spent a moment examining the symbol that Loki had added to the wood. It was a strange mark made of gently curving lines and dashes - if he had to give it a name, he'd say it was a rune. Oh and:

"Is that... Is that written in _blood?_" Steve asked from over Thor's shoulder, his voice a weird mix of confusion, horror and worry.

"It is Captain," Jarvis confirmed. "Master Laufeyson cut open his palm to write the mark. He has since healed the wound with magic." It was just after the AI had stopped talking that Thor was suddenly laughing, his whole body shaking with mirth. Everyone in the room stared at the god in open surprise (except for Natasha who didn't really show any emotion if she could help it).

"Um, Thor?" Clint asked, sounding as though he was worried his friend had just had a mental break.

"It is nothing to worry about dear friends," he reassured them one he had managed to stop chuckling. The mirth still clung to him though, despite the angry looking burns that Bruce was still tending to. "It is a ward that Loki perfected many, many years ago. It will prevent me from passing through the door."

"He... he locked you out?" Tony asked, unable to stop the laugh that bubbled out of him. Thor nodded, surprisingly not upset by this development.

"There was a similar ward on the door to his chambers in Asgard. He always said that it made him feel at home, to have somewhere he could retreat to and know that I would not follow." And all of a sudden Tony understood why Thor wasn't offended by this new sign that Loki wanted nothing to do with him: it reminded him of 'the old days.' Of home. The knowledge made him smile and he clapped the god on the (uninjured) shoulder.

"Anything that stops him from burning this place to the ground is fine by me," he allowed as he left the room. He really needed to think.

* * *

_Ok, there's the new chapter two. Hopefully it's better than the old one. I know that not much is different but I needed to make it so that Loki was still very much a wild, unpredictable character. In the old chapter he appeared almost tame and that just wasn't going to work._

_So there you go. I hope it's alright :)_


	3. Chapter 3

Time passed in relative calm. The tower somehow seemed quieter in light of its new resident, as though no one wanted to speak too loudly lest they disturbed the God of Mischief. For his part, Loki stayed in his room and didn't appear to so much as peak out the door (though Tony knew for a fact that he would wander out in the middle of the night to grab some food or a drink, or sometimes just to stand in the living room staring out over the city. He didn't know what insane gods thought about when they admired such a view but he was dying to find out, even though he didn't dare approach Loki at such times - he was rather attached to living after all).

Despite the slightly dreary atmosphere Tony was in a good mood, all things considered. Pepper was still out of town and that sucked but he had projects to occupy his time and for once Fury wasn't breathing down his neck about this or that (it wasn't going to last long he was certain but he might as well enjoy it for the time being). For once, everything seemed to be going alright.

Of course, that was never going to last. There was only so long you could spend living with a man who had god-like powers and questionable mental stability without something exploding in your face and it just so happened that it was Thor who acted as the spark (you could argue it was Tony's fault but hey, they were living in his damn tower, he could do what he wanted).

It went something like this:

Loki had been living in the tower for just under two weeks now and (breakfast-fire incident aside) nothing major had happened. No one had been found with their throat torn out, nothing had been broken or stolen or even moved. To all intents and purposes, he might as well have not been there at all. It seemed he really was set on this whole 'truce' business - even though it had been noted by _some people _that he had yet to uphold his end and tell them anything about this enemy that was supposedly on their doorstep.

With everyone's eyes directed at the demi-god, they almost failed to notice when an explosion tore through the centre of New York. Predictably, S.H.I.E.L.D was on their case within minutes, Fury blaring down the phone line to demand that they get their asses into gear and get the hell out there and find whichever criminal was stupid enough to challenge the Avengers on their own turf.

Tony was the first to arrive as always - he _really _needed to start on those quinjet engine upgrades and boost their pathetic speeds - and so he was the one who started relaying damage reports.

It looked bad. That was the first thing he really noticed, though he had seen worse (he refused to acknowledge what that said about his life). A closer inspection however revealed an awful lot of smoke and very little damage, which in itself was enough to have him curious.

"Stark, tell us what's going on," Steve ordered, his voice quavering just slightly. He was always unsettled when villains went after the general population - nothing managed to piss him off more.

"Err, give me a second here, it's kind of a mess." As he spoke he quickly ushered some terrified civilians out of the building they had taken cover in and sent them running towards where the NYPD and S.H.I.E.L.D were setting up a perimeter. It wasn't hard to work out where the blast had originated; the pavement was blackened and cracked and there was the remains of something metal smoking and sparking.

"Talk to me Stark," Fury barked at him. He may or may not have flinched slightly.

"The blast wasn't as big as it could have been. There's tech on the black market at the moment that could have done triple this damage, even for someone would didn't know what they were doing. And the placement of the device is off," he noted, speaking more to himself now as he thought. There was still the threat of another explosion but he was in the suit so he was hardly going to sweat about it. "If you wanted to do the most destruction you would put the bomb _in_ a building or at least next to one - try and bring the whole thing down. You wouldn't leave it on some random pavement."

"What are you thinking?"

"This was all about causing a scene," he murmured quietly, the realisation striking him suddenly. "Lots of smoke and noise. Someone wanted our attention."

"Well, he has it," Fury remarked, his voice sounding tired at the idea of yet another threat. He really was getting sick of all these new villains crawling out of the woodwork, no doubt encouraged by Loki's impressive display with the chitauri - even though the god had lost, he proved that the world could be challenged and it seemed that every basket case suddenly wanted to try his hand. "Any clues on who?"

Tony hummed noncommittally. "Some of the device survived. There might be something on there that could point you in the right direction but to be honest if someone is going out of their way to make themselves known, they're going to announce themselves pretty soon." He watched idly as the quinjet alighted on a building on the other side of the street and the rest of the team (sans Bruce who was only called out in dire emergencies; and besides, no one wanted to leave Loki alone in the tower). He sent a vague salute in their direction.

"S.H.I.E.L.D clean up teams are on their way," Hill informed them, apparently having taken the communicator from Fury. "Do you think there's a further threat?"

"There's always a further threat," Tony reminded her sardonically, jetting into the air to hover level with the others. Steve glared at him and he shrugged.

"Have teams in the city on standby," the Captain ordered, taking control when it was obvious Stark had nothing more to say. "And make an announcement to the general public and tell them to be on their guard. Someone wants to make a name for themselves and they clearly don't care who gets caught in the crossfire."

After the orders were given out, time blurred into one long stretch that Tony could only describe as _boring. _He helped coordinate clean up teams, checked the surrounding area for any further explosive devices and any civilians that hadn't been smart enough to run like hell and gave specific instructions to the technicians that turned up to collect the remains of the bomb (no doubt they'd ignore him entirely but it was worth a shot). He really wanted to take the device himself but Fury would never have let him even though _he was a bomb expert. _At this point Tony was 92% sure that the director was only denying him this to piss him off (a claim that Clint supported whole heartedly).

So it was that when the billionaire got back to the tower he was tired and irritated and he was almost wishing that there had been a fight so he could have kicked some ass. But no matter, scotch could sooth his fraying nerves well enough.

He's so intent on his goal of getting a drink that when a voice suddenly sounds from the shadows in the darkening room he jolts violently and spins to face the source. Loki just raises an eyebrow at him, the corner of his lip twitching in what could only be amusement - so he got kicks from seeing people afraid of him, perfect.

"Err, what?" He asks, aware of how foolish he looks and sounds.

"I said 'Fisk,'" he repeats, still sporting that amused look. He walked further into the room which seemed unusual - given his attitude of avoiding them all like the plague, Tony would have thought he'd rather hug the wall that stand in the centre but then again, Loki was unpredictable and he knew it. No doubt he would do everything he could to make sure that this little truce did nothing to help them in understanding him.

"Am I meant to know what that is?" Recovered now for his _incident _he found himself reverting to his usual cocky, sarcastic self.

"I would have thought so but then I might be overestimating the mental capacity of a mortal such as yourself," Loki shot back.

_'Bastard,' _Tony thought. The god must have known that he prided himself on his genius and it was his main defining feature and now Loki was going to use it as some sort of psychological weapon against him just to have something to do. His silent seething must have been answer enough because the trickster let out a low, cruel laugh.

"The name you are looking for in connection to the events of today: Wilson Fisk, though I think these days he prefers to go by Kingpin. Given that he's one of the smartest people on the planet I would have thought that you would be acquainted." Now that he had heard the full name it rang some alarm bells in his mind and he immediately began going over every scrap of knowledge he had on the man.

He'd never actually met him, though they had been in contact for a brief while many, many years ago when he'd still been in the weapons business. In time Fisk had been publicly discovered to be in deep with the mafia and Stark Industries had cut all ties immediately - Stark had never heard from him again.

"You're saying he's the one who set off the bomb?"

"I doubt it was his finger on the trigger but the orders came from his mouth, of that I am certain." Loki looked almost like he was willing Tony to believe him.

"And you're telling me this why? Cause right now it seems more likely that you'd try and send me off on a wild goose chase just for shits and giggles instead of actually helping." Hey, he was Tony Stark, bluntness was what he did.

Loki sighed, sounding almost disappointed but then there was fire in his eyes again, his amused grin curling into something more like a sneer. "In case it had escaped your notice, there is a criminal blowing chunks out of this city you call your home. I have given you a name. Use it or forget it, I care not. I have done my part." With that he turned to leave but Tony found himself calling after the retreating figure.

"Let's say I believe you. How do you know it was Fisk?"

The god paused briefly, glancing over his shoulder with a knowing smirk. "He's a criminal. I'm a criminal. We share a common ground."

"He toldyou? Yeah, that I'm not buying."

"He _told _me nothing. I have my own ways of uncovering such things," Loki snapped with apparent offence, though at what Tony could only guess. The trickster was starting to leave again but the billionaire had another question.

"Why tell me? I would have thought you'd enjoy watching us squirm over this when you knew the answers all along."

"No doubt I would," he allowed with a shrug. "But you have maintained your end of the deal up until now and so far I have been lacking. Consider it an act of faith if nothing else." With that he was gone, leaving a thoroughly perplexed Tony to start making calls.

* * *

"Wilson Fisk, also known as Harold Howard, leading figure within several mafia organisations and with strong personal ties to The Hand." Fury tossed a brown file onto the table the team sat around.

"The Hand? You're kidding me," Stark commented, a huff of amusement escaping him. "I didn't think they were _real_."

"Who is this Hand you speak of?" Thor questioned, his brow furrowing into that confused little frown of his that always seemed to be present in these meetings.

"Ninjas," Tony replied instantly, earning him a glare from the director.

"They're an organisation that is mixed up in all kinds of bad," Clint explained succinctly. Another glare from Fury. "Terrorists. They have links to HYDRA too."

At that Steve perked up, his eyes rising from the file in his hands to meet the director's gaze. "I thought HYDRA were out of the game for a while."

"They are. From what we can tell they haven't got anything to do with this. This is all on Fisk. It would seem that he's getting his supplies and funding from the Hand though, along with a various assortment of his own rotten companies. To be honest, the whole thing is so convoluted that if Stark hadn't given us the heads up we never would have even noticed the movement of that much money. Fisk is a pain in my ass but he's a smart one, I'll give him that."

"Do I get the same consideration?" Tony asked but everyone ignored him. He huffed quietly to himself.

"Ok, so we know who we're dealing with. What do we do now?" Natasha only ever really participated in these meetings to receive her orders before she went on her merry way. Short and to the point was always her way.

"You and Clint are going undercover. We're sending agents into several of Fisk's companies as well as activating a few of our sleeper cells within the mafia. But I want you two on Fisk himself. Give me everything. I want to know what he's eating for breakfast, where he likes to spend his time; hell, tell me what shampoo he uses."

"He's bald," Tony put in but again, no one paid him any heed. Honestly, there was so little point in even turning up if people weren't going to appreciate his wit.

"Find me something we can work with if this son of a bitch starts a war." Orders given, the two assassins nodded and left without another word. It kind of reminded Tony of dogs following the commands of its master but he instantly kicked himself for the unfair assessment - god he could be a dick, even within his own head.

"And what do you want the rest of us to do?" Steve questioned.

"You should be alert. You could get called in at any time in the near future, so don't go making any holiday plans. Where's Banner?" The team had again not wanted Loki alone in the tower and if it came down to it Bruce was the best candidate for taking down an insane god.

"He's running an experiment that he didn't want to leave unattended," Tony lied smoothly. "I told him that we'd pass along the relevant information." Fury seemed to swallow the story (it wasn't like he had any reason to suspect a lie).

"In which case, I have nothing further to tell you. Keep in contact." And just like that they were dismissed, without so much as a goodbye. Fury really needed to work on his people skills.

* * *

"Why would Loki be giving us intel? It just doesn't make sense," Bruce said, his head shaking backwards and forwards. It wasn't the first time they had had this conversation but no one was any the wiser about why the god would start spilling secrets now.

"My brother has always been honourable," Thor intoned, as always, defensive of his sibling. "He will do everything he can to ensure that he is not in our debt. Especially not mine."

"So this is all just to keep even? It's a theory Point Break but I can't see it holding up in court." The thunderer clearly didn't recognise the saying but he got the general gist.

"I cannot fathom any other cause for Loki's actions. But then, I have never truly understood his mind. Perhaps if I had none of this would have happened." His voice had suddenly dipped with melancholy. "I should have seen how dark his world had become."

"Hey, come on," Tony jumped to defend him. "You couldn't have seen this coming. He was your brother and you trusted him more than anyone. How could you possibly have known how this would play out?"

"I have a duty to protect my family. I failed him."

"Thor, you can't blame yourself for this," Bruce said softly. "It will do no good."

Thor might not have agreed but he didn't have an argument to that so he just shrugged and wandered away, his shoulders still tight with guilt that Tony wished he could erase. The problem was that the one person who could do that was more than willing to just pile more on and watch Thor crumble. Bastard.

"D'you reckon there's anything we can do to cheer him up?" Tony looked at Bruce in the hopes that answers would just appear on his face.

"I don't know. This isn't something that we can really fix."

"Maybe not. I was thinking that maybe we should contact Jane, ask if she can come and see him. Anything that stops him looking like someone's just kicked his puppy."

"And tell her about Loki? The fewer people who know, the better," Bruce argued but his eyes were thoughtful. "Still. It might be worth a shot. Ask Thor first though, don't spring it on him." The billionaire nodded at the suggestion; the thunderer really didn't need any more surprises right now.

With a pat on the shoulder Bruce left, mumbling something about wanting to check some experimental data but Tony wasn't really paying attention. His mind was several rooms away with a dark god who had more issues than he could put a name to and more than enough reason to want to see them all dead (in his mind at least). And yet he had helped them, given them a name and a lead to follow without asking for anything in return.

Maybe that was it. This was a favour he would call in later, when it was convenient for him and he found himself in a situation where having the Avengers as allies was of benefit. Or maybe it was as Thor said: he was just trying to stay on an even keel.

His mind went round and round in infuriating circles until he was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't notice his feet taking him to a familiar door until it was there in front of him, bloody sigil still decorating the wood. A part of him wanted to go in, demand to know why Loki would help them, why he was doing this but the more rational part of his mind told him that if he tried the god would more than likely skin him for the intrusion.

With a sigh the engineer turned and took half a step away but then paused when the door behind him creaked. He whirled as his breath caught in his throat, only semi aware that this was a horrible repeat of the other day in the main room but any such thought is banished by the sight of a slightly dishevelled Loki peering at him through the tiny gap between the wood and the wall. The god looked tired and his hair was mussed, as though he had just woken up but his eyes were as sharp and clear as ever.

There was a moment of silence where they just stared at each other, Loki apparently waiting to hear what Tony had to say but the engineer was too stunned to speak.

"I was lead to believe that it was considered rude to linger outside the doorway of another," the god said eventually, when there was no explanation forthcoming. "Was I wrong?"

Tony shook his head slowly, then remembered himself. "I was just..." His brain scrambled for an excuse. "I was going to thank you. For the information about Fisk." Loki looked unconvinced. _'Lying to the God of Lies. Way to go Tony,' _he scolded himself.

"Why are you here Stark?" The impatience was obvious in his tone.

"This is _my _tower. I can go where I want," he retorted, well aware he sounded like a petulant child. The trickster half rolled his eyes and moved to close the door again, wishing to retreat back into the gloomy space that he called his own. "Wait!" Tony had come here for answers and since Loki was actually talking to him, he might as well ask. "I need to know why you told us. Why you would help us."

"Why do I do anything Stark? I thought you understood this of me: I play my own game to my own rules," the god spat, suddenly angry even though the engineer couldn't see how he could have cause offence.

"But deal aside, we're _enemies. _It doesn't make sense that you'd help us with something not directly related to this 'great threat' you keep telling us about. I need to know."

"Why?"

"Curiosity."

"The type that can get you killed." Was that a threat? It sounded like a threat. "I have already told you. To fight the Titan, I need you on my side; one name is a small price to pay for such an alliance." Tony had picked right up on the reference to this 'titan' but he sensed that asking Loki would just get him up against a brick wall - he could save his questions for Thor.

"We already had a deal you know. We wouldn't have just turned on you because you didn't seem of use." He didn't know what made him say it, what primal part of him wanted to offer reassurance to a man that would happily see him dead. All he knew was that he didn't want Loki thinking so little of them. _'Wow, I really have got pride issues.'_

"I have heard such words before," was Loki's only response to that and then the door was closed between them again, sliding shut with a pointed _click_.

Well damn, that was not what he had been expecting. It looked like it might be time to go and find Thor.

* * *

_Slightly abrupt ending, I know. But hey, an update is an update. I know Loki's still a bit all over the place but in a way, that's kind of what I'm going with - I love him with all my heart but even I can admit that guy has a whole book full of mental problems. Anyway. There should be more Loki appearing in future chapters, so we'll get more from his point of view and an insight into why he's doing what he's doing._

_Now, this is important. I have exams coming up and they're sort of really really important. Hence, writing is taking a back seat for about a month and a half. This is not to say I won't be updating, but there is a chance I'll be silent for a good long while. _

_So there you have it. Drop me a message and tell me what you thought? That would be nice._


	4. Chapter 4

_To the people that have been asking: Fisk is _not _my character. Kingpin is an original Marvel villain (though he mostly goes against Spiderman and Daredevil). He's going to be in this story to a limited extent but he's not the primary focus. I just didn't want to go down the Amora and Skurge route._

_You don'tneed to know all that much about him. Most parts of his character that are relevant I'll explain in the story itself. He's basically really rich, really kickass, really clever and really evil._

* * *

"You are certain that he said 'Titan?'"

"_Yes _Thor," Tony repeated for what felt like the hundredth time. "Are you going to tell me what that means or should I go and ask Loki?" He had tried to come at this conversation with an open mind, knowing that it would take a while to talk Thor down enough to be able to get any answers from him but they'd been here for over an hour now and he still knew absolutely nothing about this mysterious titan - his patience was all but gone.

"If my brother was telling the truth then this world is in far greater danger than we could have thought. We must talk with the others." With that he was striding away and out the door, leaving Tony slightly bewildered and more than a little pissed off. What was it with Norse gods and vague answers?

Several minutes later the rest of the team (apart from Bruce who was generally avoiding the floor thanks to Loki and the threat of hulk outs) had convened in the main living area of Stark tower and had made themselves at home on the sofas (except Clint who seemed determined to sit on every piece of furniture in the tower at least once - he was currently on the filing cabinet in the corner).

"What's this about then?" Steve asked, looking between Tony and Thor expectantly. "You said it was about Loki?"

"Not my brother exactly, more the threat of which he spoke when he came here." Thor's voice was grave, his shoulders slumped as though they had already lost this war.

"You have more information?" Natasha leaned forwards, her professionalism slipping onto her face. "I take it this isn't good news."

"It is worse than we had thought my friends. Anthony-" Tony did his best not to wince at the name, "- was speaking to Loki and he revealed that the one who hunts him is a Titan." Thor almost looked as though he expected everyone else in the room to understand what that meant but he was met by five blank stares. After a minute of awkward silence he elaborated. "Many millennia ago, before Asgard and Midgard were created, there were 12 Titans and they ruled the cosmos. All other races worshiped them and their power or they fell before them in countless battles."

"So where are they now?"

"They died. Some in battle, some simply faded away with time. Until today I would have told you that no titans exist anymore but it would seem that I have been wrong."

"Something of a habit of yours," a snide voice from the doorway remarked and they all turned to see Loki leaning against the doorframe, apparently completely at ease. He was dressed casually, a long sleeved tunic - in green, of course - and black trousers with his usual boots. He looked... _normal. _

"Brother! You should have told me that one of the Titans still lived," Thor reprimanded but his face was smooth with the sad kindness he always wore when Loki was around.

The younger god sniffed, stalking into the room and dropping gracefully onto a free armchair that put him in a perfect position to keep his eyes on everyone in the room. He was putting on a show of being calm and uncaring but Tony was fairly sure he was tense as a bow string - not that he could blame the guy.

"As if you would have taken _my _word for it. A truth like this would have been seen as a lie, especially from my lips." There was a bitterness there that Loki was trying desperately to hide but even he couldn't conceal something that bone deep.

"I would have believed you. I have trusted you this far have I not?" And Thor actually sounded a little hurt by his brother's lack of faith. Tony felt bad for the guy but at the same time he kind of wanted to hit him for being so foolish - _'You have to stop letting him get to you big guy. Stop letting him in.'_

Loki inclined his head slightly, apparently accepting that for now. "If you are willing to hear me then, ask what you will."

"You'd just tell us all about him. Just like that," Tony said in disbelief. He raised an eyebrow at the god who suddenly was looking angry again; almost everyone in the room shifted slightly and the tension doubled.

"How many times must I explain myself to you?" Loki demanded, rising from his chair in one fluid motion. "I have already told you that in this matter I would work _with _you and not against and yet still you insist on asking _why._" He was practically spitting but he stopped his advance when he saw Thor carefully shift Mjölnir in his hands. The trickster sighed, backing up again and retaking his seat. "Be calm Thor, I have no wish to break this deal. But know this: I have been honest so far in my intent, there is no trick on my part. Whether you believe me or not, I am capable of the truth when it suits me."

"So you say. But you'll have to forgive us if we don't welcome you with open arms," Clint mocked from his corner, his eyes glittering with ill concealed malice.

"I would consider you fools if you did."

Thor hesitated slightly, looking as though he was caught in the crossfire and he didn't know which side to take. Eventually he sighed and looked back at Loki. "Who is it that is coming for you brother? Which Titan are we to face?"

The trickster looked down for a second, a slight hiss escaping his teeth at the very mention of this faceless enemy. "The Madgod," he told them. "Thanos."

No one but Thor responded to that information - it meant absolutely nothing to any of them anyway but the Thunderer seemed to relax a little at this information, rubbing at his eyes tiredly.

"This is... good news?" Tony asked eventually, when neither of the gods said anything further.

Loki scoffed. "No Titan is good news. But it is not as bad as it could have been. Thanos-" the word was a hiss of venom, "-was the youngest of his brothers and not the one most suited to war. Most tales portray him as a scholar."

"Going by the way you're speaking, most tales aren't entirely true," Tony guessed.

"In a sense they are I suppose," Loki replied vaguely. When irritation flashed across the engineer's face he smirked and continued speaking. "Thanos _does _treasure knowledge; it's why he took such an interest in me." Tony wanted to ask about that but the trickster spoke over his interruption. "However that is not all that he adores. He has a... mistress. Or so he calls her."

"A mistress?" Steve asked, speaking up for the first time since Loki had appeared. "Another Titan?"

"Nothing quite like that," Loki said and then he hesitated, a strange expression crossing his face. "She... she is Death." Silence greeted the admission while that fact processed.

"Death?" Tony repeated eventually. He wish Thor would speak up but the god still seemed to be caught on the fact that this Thanos guy was alive to really concentrate on what was going on. "Death isn't a person."

"Nor is a lie and yet here I sit. And thunder and lightning stands beside you. We gods do not just represent our titles, for the most part we _are _them."

"So, this Death chick. She's a god like you?"

Loki sighed, sounding put upon. "It's more complicated than that. Just... Never mind. My point was that he will do anything he can to please her. He slaughters millions in her name and he will do the same to your world given half the chance."

"And you actually _worked _with this guy?" Clint sounded sickened. "Just how despicable a creature are you?" That seemed to wake Thor from his reverie.

"Watch your words friend Barton," he warned. Clint was too pissed to look apologetic so he just scowled at the gods.

"Though I'm certain you won't believe me, if it's any consolation, I had very little say in the matter. It wasn't like I volunteered." That was more than he had shared with them before and Thor was suddenly a lot more focussed.

"What do you mean brother? What did they do?"But Loki had apparently said all he would on the matter and ignored the questions completely.

"Getting back on topic..." Tony started, cutting the Thunderer off and earning a dirty look. "Let me get this straight. We're going to be attacked by a Titan from the dawn of time who is obsessed with Death and no doubt has more power than anything we've ever seen before. Is that what's happening?" Loki nodded silently. "Christ, I need a drink."

"It's the middle of the day Tony," Steve scolded but did nothing to stop the billionaire from pouring himself a scotch. The captain let it go. "If this Thanos is as powerful as you say he is, how do you propose we fight him?"

Loki actually looked a little taken aback that he was being asked for his opinion. He recovered himself quickly. "In all honesty? I'd run as far as I could and hide for the next few centuries. Unfortunately that option is not open to me right now and so I've thrown in my lot with you. You had the strength to defeat the Chitauri which means there might actually be some hope of you winning against him. But Thanos is someone even I cannot outmanoeuvre. He has the strength to take us all head on and the smarts to stop any deception on our part."

"This sounds a lot like a no hope scenario," Tony observed sardonically from the bar. Steve shot him a dirty look.

"It probably is," Loki agreed easily. "But you'll fight anyway."

He said nothing else as he rose to his feet and left, sliding out the door without a sound. They just watched him leave, making no effort to stop him.

"So what do we do now?" Natasha looked between Thor and Steve, not sure which one to ask.

"I must speak with my father," the Thunderer said after a moment. He looked torn. "If I tell him that Loki is here he will send me to retrieve him and bring him back to Asgard but I cannot hide knowledge of the Titan from him. This affects all the Aesir as much as it does this world."

"So tell him you found the information yourself. Don't mention Loki," Tony suggested, shrugging. Thor shook his head slowly.

"I do not have my brother's talent for weaving stories. I could not fool the Allfather." He sighed again, his whole body exuding weariness. "I must speak with Loki." He swept after his brother.

"I might be wrong but I think we might be screwed," Tony observed, pouring himself another drink. The other three people in the room just scowled at him.

* * *

Later that evening he was sitting on the balcony of the penthouse, his legs dangling over oblivion. He supposed he should be bothered by the fact that his death was only a hair's breadth away but frankly his mind was too full of gods and titans and war that he didn't have room to deal with his own mortality.

"You know, I'm pretty sure Pepper would have a heart attack if she saw you sitting out here." Tony turned to see Bruce walking through the glass doors to stand just behind him, away from the dizzying drop.

"You know me. If I'm not risking my life stupidly, I'm not living."

"Aren't you cold?" The doctor hugged his arms to his chest, shaking slightly in the freezing wind.

In truth Tony was but he wasn't really willing to admit that he hadn't even noticed until right this second so he shrugged casually. He patted the spot next to him in invitation but Bruce didn't move.

"Steve told me what Loki said," the doctor said softly, somehow knowing exactly what the engineer was out here thinking about. "We'll be alright you know. We've won against everything that we've faced so far and we can do it again."

With nothing to say to that Tony clambered to his feet carefully, backing away from the edge. He clapped a hand against Bruce's shoulder, offering him one of his media-ready smiles that of course the doctor saw right through and wandered back into the warmth of the building. He considered going down to his lab and finishing off some of the projects he had been neglecting but his mind was still buzzing.

_'Pull yourself together Tony,' _he ordered. He wasn't sure quite why he was letting this get to him so much - he'd been up against impossible odds before and he hadn't even blinked.

It took a long time to realise exactly why he was quite so unnerved: Loki_. _There had been something in his face when he spoke of Thanos, something he was trying to hide under his smooth charm but every now and then it would break through, unbidden. Loki, all-powerful, confident prick that he was, was _afraid _of this guy. And somehow the engineer had the impression that anything that could scare Loki was something that they should all beware.

_'But he was right, wasn't he? You'll fight anyway,' _ he told himself. _'Because you're an Avenger. And Avengers don't limit themselves to fights they know they can win.**'_

* * *

The next morning Tony dragged himself into the kitchen, his only goal the coffee machine on the counter. He had barely slept, tossing and turning all night before slipping into a fitful sleep full of dreams of monsters and wormholes and nuclear warheads.

Thor nodded to him from where he sat at the counter, a plate of pop-tarts in front of him.

"I thought you were off to Asgard for a meeting with daddy dearest," he observed once his coffee was brewing quietly. Thor looked uneasy.

"I... I spoke with my brother. He did not wish me to reveal his location to the Allfather."

"So, you're not going to warn your people about Thanos? That's a lot to risk for the sake of one man, even if it is your brother."

"You know nothing of family Stark," Thor replied instantly, far more viciously than Tony had heard from him before. He blinked at the demi-god in surprise. "Do not suppose to know how I feel."

A little bit shocked and a little more hurt, Tony just shrugged, masking his feelings with a false smile. Thor looked like he wanted to apologise almost instantly but the engineer just didn't want to hear it so he grabbed the fresh coffee pot and carried the whole thing out of the room with the sole intention of going and burying himself in his lab. He was so done with gods and their ridiculous, out-of-control emotions.

He shot a smile at Widow as she wandered out of the elevator but said nothing to her questioning look other than: "Thunderbird's in a bad mood this morning."

His lab automatically brought him comfort. Being among his bots was something that had always soothed him when the world outside turned bitter - his final refuge. Pepper and Bruce would visit him down here sometimes but they didn't linger, aware that this space was Tony's and it wasn't to be breached unless necessary.

"Jarvis you up?"

"Always Sir."

"Ok, we're doing a bit of research today. Close all other project files for now and make a new one."

"And the title Sir?"

"Thanos," he said without hesitation. At around three in the morning he had realised that it was pointless to be afraid of something he knew nothing about so he decided he should investigate this threat more. Besides, he didn't just want to take Loki's word for it; he might have just picked a random fairy tale he knew Thor could get behind so that he would have a steadfast reason to remain in the tower.

Several hours later, having trawled through endless myths and legends, he had decided that the Norse people talked too much. Why couldn't they have just written the facts down and left the wild stories out of it? When Jarvis spoke up he was ashamed to admit that it made him jump.

"I feel obliged to inform you that Mr Laufeyson has left the tower." There was a half second of silence, then:

"_What?!_" He leapt out of his chair and was halfway to the door before the AI had the chance to reply.

"Mr Odinson says that you should not concern yourself."

"Not concern-" He stopped himself, anger and confusion thick in his system. "Open a channel." There was a soft beep as the connection was made. "Thor, what the hell is going on?"

"There is no issue friend Stark. Loki has agreed to help me in informing my father of Thanos' existence."

"I thought the whole point was that Odin remained unaware of Loki," Tony asked, calming a little at the surety in the Thunderer's voice.

"It is more complicated than that. My brother will return shortly."

Well, it wasn't like there was anything Tony could do if he didn't. And besides, what would it matter? It would just confirm that Loki had been screwing with them all this time and that there wasn't some grand threat they all had to worry about. It might actually be better if they didn't see the trickster again for a long while.

But his hopes of that were dashed when Jarvis informed him forty minutes later that Loki was back in his room.

"Well that's brilliant."

"Sir?" Jarvis might be a supercomputer and a genius but even he couldn't read Tony's thoughts.

"Never mind J. Lets close this up, I'm done for the day."

* * *

He had about ten seconds of calm when he walked out of the elevator before he took note of his surroundings. The main room was empty except for Thor and Loki who stood facing each other, weapons in hands, looking as though they were and instant from tearing each other apart. Thor's nose was dripping blood but Loki seemed uninjured.

"What the hell guys?" He shouted, somewhat stupidly rushing forwards to get between them. If he was always this suicidal how was he not dead yet?

"This does not concern you Man of Iron," Thor told him, grabbing at his arm to drag him out of the way. Tony automatically resisted and even though the Thunderer could easily manhandle him, he let him go.

"The hell it doesn't. My tower remember? If you two are going to be blowing chunks out of each other you can kindly do it elsewhere." His voice was iron but he knew that if the gods didn't back down there was nothing he could do to stop them.

Thor was standing defensively, his arms pulled up to protect himself. His eyes were pleading. "Please brother, this is not-"

"_Stop calling me that!" _Loki shrieked and oh god he had really gone off the deep end hadn't he. Now that Tony was really looking he could see the crazed wildness in his eyes that hadn't been there before, a rawness that looked both parts insane and painful. "I am _not _your kin!"

"I don't care that we do not share blood Loki," Thor shouted back, sounding as though he had said the words a thousand times and had long since lost any hope of them being believed. "We grew up together, no matter how much you wish to forget."

"I am a _monster. _We could never be family."

"It is your actions that define you Loki, not your lineage."

"Then I am still a monster! Or have you forgotten Jötunheimr? Or that pathetic woman of yours? Or the Chitauri?"

"By your own admission you did not wish to work with them! Loki you have done terrible things but do not think yourself so beyond redemption you give up!" Thor was pleading Tony realised, bearing his heart even though he knew that Loki would just cut at him and burn whatever bridges there were left between them. They both seemed to have forgotten his presence.

"I found myself with them when _you_ tossed me into an _abyss!" _Loki screamed back at him and his hands flared with magic, fingers curling into claws, every inch a wild animal poised to strike. "And you would wish that I walk back into _your _golden city and submit myself to your mercy? Do you even know what the Chitauri did to me? Because of _you?_"

"I did not wish to ask that which you did not want to tell," Thor defended. "And you would never elect to speak of them."

"You wish me to tell you then?" His voice was rage and Tony quivered at the sound. "You want me to explain how they cast my daughter into Hel? How they turned Váli into a wolf and made me watch as he tore his brother to pieces? How they bound me beneath Jormungand with what remains of Narfi they could find?" Something had broken in the god, shattered like glass and the being that stood before them now had no control over himself. Wisps of green magic sparked from him, spewing in all directions in response to his anger. "Odin swore to me! He _promised _that they would be safe under his watch!"

"Loki I..." Thor's voice sounded a thousand years old and there was heartbreak written into every line of his face. Whatever Loki was talking about, Thor hadn't know. "Had you told me... I-"

Loki must have read the truth there too because something went out of him then, some of the fiery anger cooling to icy indifference. A mask slipped across his face and all those vast emotions Tony couldn't begin to comprehend were hidden from the world again. All that remained was a bitter resignation and... shame? Whatever it was, the engineer couldn't place it before the trickster was speaking again, his words collected and cool.

"It matters not. The truce stands. Do not speak of Asgard to me again." When he walked to the door his stride was missing its usual grace, the movements short and jerky.

For the longest time, neither of them said a word but then Tony turned to Thor with a hundred questions bubbling on his tongue. One look at the demi-god had him shutting his mouth pretty damn quickly. Insatiable curiosity might be one of his flaws but he wasn't unnecessarily cruel to people and right now, asking Thor about what had just happened would have been brutal.

The Thunderer was still staring at the spot where Loki had been standing and on his face was the most hopeless expression Tony had ever seen. He looked little more than a lost boy looking for his mother.

"Come on big guy," he said softly, laying a comforting hand on an enormous bicep. "We've still got some of that Asgardian mead of yours. You look like you could use a drink."

* * *

_I wasn't sure about this chapter (I swear I say this every time) but what the hell. Loki's going to start making sense at some point I promise._

_I combined a couple of different mythologies to make up the story of the titans. They're not actually that prevalent in the original Norse stories so I brought in a little Greek and Egyptian stuff too. I'm going to assume that no one minds. _

_By the way, anyone want to be a beta for this? I don't actually proof read my stuff so I'm aware there are mistakes everywhere. If anyone's interested, message me :)_

_Taken is going to be updated soon, I promise! I'm writing a new chapter now!_

_** This is a direct quote from the comic books and as such is not mine to take credit for._


	5. Chapter 5

Thor had seen the bottom of no less than thirteen glasses of mead before he seemed ready to talk. He was breathing heavily as though tired and his hands were trembling lightly with unspoken emotions. Tony watched him in silence as more and more alcohol disappeared.

Eventually the thunderer just sighed. "Loki is my brother, I cannot just forget that. I don't think that is something I will ever be able to do."

"We're not asking you to Thor," Tony reassured him softly, not quite able to meet his eyes. "But even you cannot ignore all that he has done. You cannot expect us to trust him." The engineer was horribly sober, having known that this conversation would require a certain tact that would evaporate with a few glasses of scotch but he still felt himself aching for that burn in his stomach.

"I do not believe that you could after all that he has done to your world. I know that you do not have the faith in him I do. No doubt you think me foolish for believing so." Normally when Thor spoke about Loki his voice was a curious blend of sadness, disappointment and an unmistakable protectiveness that you often heard in older siblings. Now though there was just... _regret_. And it was heartbreaking to hear.

"I think that you were right when you said I had no idea of family," Tony admitted after some hesitation. He knew it was the truth even if it had hurt to hear his teammate say it - to his face no less - and so he had made an agreement with himself not to question Thor in this matter.

The god's face tore with regret at the admission but he did not refute the statement. "I have known Loki my whole life. When we were children we would play together, explore together..." Thor's eyes were wistful and clouded with alcohol. "Whenever I needed advice or even a friendly face it was to him that I would turn and he would always be there to comfort me, as constant as my own shadow. I should have known that living in such shade could only produce darkness."

"Thor, you have to stop blaming yourself for this. _There was nothing you could do. _I wasn't there I know and I'm probably the last person you want to take advice from about this but from what I've heard? It wasn't you that sent him off the deep end, it was your father." Tony half expected to get punched for that comment but Thor didn't even flinch.

"It was my father's lies that placed the seed in his mind but it was still my fault. All those years I turned to him and he was there to support me when I couldn't do it myself and then the one time he needed me, the one time he would ask for my aid and _I wasn't there._" He took another fortifying gulp of mead. "I know that you look at Loki and see an enemy. But all I can see is the goodness in him."

"Even now?"

"Especially now. He has no one else to do so."

"But Thor, he _hates _this world. The same realm you promised to protect and that makes you his enemy, no matter what you feel about him."

For the first time since the fight upstairs, Thor's eyes flickered with anger. "I know that! Do not question my loyalty to Midgard because I still feel kinship with my brother. He is not evil but sometimes he still needs to be stopped."

Tony held up his hands in surrender, regretting his comment. "Are you going to tell me what he was talking about before?"

"I-" He started and then hesitated. "It is something that Loki would curse me for repeating."

"I won't tell anyone," Tony swore and it took him a moment to realise he meant it. He wasn't digging for information to be used at a later date, he was just honestly curious about the trickster.

"If you ever use this against him..." Thor let the threat trail off and the engineer just nodded wholeheartedly. "Loki has always had his faults. He was always prone to tricks, to being quick to judge and slow to trust. But if there was anything within him that _shone, _that glowed with purity, it was his love for his children."

Tony choked on his own spit. "Ch-Children?" He gasped out, aware that he must look ridiculous. "Loki's a father?"

Thor nodded calmly, as though he hadn't just dropped a bombshell on his friend. "My brother and I are... old. In comparison with your kind at least. We have been through many experiences that you are unaware of."

"Wait, does that mean that you-"

Thor cut him off. "It is not my past that is of import right now."

And Tony's curiosity was driving him mad but he knew that if he was to drag any more tales for the inebriated god then he was going to have to be on his best behaviour. "Ok, so Loki loves his kids. That's surprisingly... domestic."

He didn't know how long they talked. How many hours they sat while Thor spun wild tales of serpents and wolves and a man who loved them all even when no one else could see it. The mood darkened considerably when they reached the topic of what Loki had screeched at them and Thor was tearful with mourning for the loss of his niece and his nephews. Tony did his best to comfort him, continually filling his glass until the Thunderer was wilting towards the table, moments away from passing out cold. The engineer hauled him to his room without complaint and left him, giving Jarvis instructions to watch over him carefully.

An hour later he came to a decision and ordered Jarvis to send a small video clip taken from a surveillance camera to Loki: it showed Thor with a tear stained face raising a toast to those that had been lost and anyone could see the genuine grief and remorse. With it, he attached only a few words:

_'He didn't know.'_

* * *

Despite the message and any conclusions to be drawn from it, Loki had retreated to his room once more. The only sign that something had even happened was that the rune on his door had been altered so that now Thor couldn't even enter the corridor without blood pouring from his nose. It didn't stop him from trying to talk to Loki though and Tony had to admire his perseverance even while he cursed his stupidity. In the end Steve took pity on him and ordered Thor to stay away; he took the command with ill grace but didn't directly disobey him.

Everyone in the tower noticed the god's new, bleak mood but no one seemed to have the heart to ask what exactly the problem was. Tony had kept his word and had repeated nothing of the conversation he and Thor had shared but that didn't mean he wasn't thinking about it.

The glaringly obvious part was that _Loki had kids. _More than that was that from what Thor had said, they had meant more to him than all the nine realms and their loss would have been enough to tear his already fragile sanity to pieces. Tony had done a little research into it himself and now had some vague idea of just what he was dealing with here:

Fenris was an enormous world destroying wolf. Apparently he had terrorised early settlers in Northern Europe for a while before vanishing, so suddenly in fact that even the Aesir hadn't known where he'd gone. According to Thor, they still didn't know - Loki had been searching for him for centuries. Then there was Jormungand, the Midgard serpent. Thor had been lead to believe that he was still imprisoned at the bottom of the ocean, ready to rise and tear the world to pieces but Loki had mentioned something about him being used as a torture device so it was a little unclear quite where he was. Hella, his only daughter, was now the guardian of Hel and Loki could not see her. Loki had made it clear that two of his sons, Narfi and Váli, were now dead and he had been forced to watch (even against someone like Loki that was so beyond alright that it made Tony feel physically sick to even think of being that cruel).

Sleipnir was definitely the strangest one. Thor had been intentionally vague about the whole thing Tony was certain but thankfully Norse myths were more clear on this topic than some of the others and so he could piece together a pretty good storyline. It wasn't pretty. Loki had submitted himself to bearing the offspring of a stallion to save Frigga - his own _mother _- and it had lead to him being spurned and mocked but the rest of the Aesir, who saw it merely as a symbol of his weakness. Tony couldn't condone what Loki had done to his planet but he was starting to see where all the crazy had come from.

Having spent most of his time locked in his lab, it took Tony far longer than it should have done to notice quite how silent the upper levels of the tower had become. Everyone seemed to suddenly feel the need to make themselves scarce.

He'd spoken to Pepper a few times which had been nice but then he'd had to tell her that when she got back from China she should probably stay in DC for a few days. She'd been full of questions, demanding to know just what he'd done to the tower that would require her absence but he had refused to say even though it killed him to deny her this - he had no doubt that Fury would be monitoring the conversation and announcing that Loki was his houseguest would not be a good plan. In the end she'd acquiesced but he had no doubt that he was in for a slap whenever he next got the chance to see her.

Normally he would like the peace and quiet but right now it just seemed suffocating. He was practically vibrating with discomfort.

"Jarvis, pick a project," he instructed suddenly from where he was shifting uncomfortably on the sofa. "I need something to do."

"Are we setting aside the Thanos project Sir?"

"Just for tonight. Give me something that has nothing to do with S.H.I.E.L.D or Loki or goddamn Norse legends." For once he just wanted to _build _something. It didn't even have to be something impressive, he just wanted to lose himself in schematics and calculations.

"You have been planning on updating the HUD of the Mark IX*," the Ai replied.

Tony groaned softly. "Not the suit either. Come on, I must have something that isn't related to superheroes."

There was a very long pause. "You started a project six months ago involving an oven with speech capabilities," Jarvis offered. "I believe Miss Potts commanded that you shut it down almost immediately."

Tony's lips twitched at the memory but then his brow furrowed. Is that all he did now? Be Iron Man and forget that he was also Tony Stark? Just when exactly had that happened? He growled slightly in irritation, twisting his hands together to give them something to do. "What are R&D working on at the moment? I could take a look."

"They are just finishing the final prototype of the StarkPhone sir." The engineer groaned again. Giving up, he slumped back against the pillows but then hauled himself to his feet as his agitation grew. He didn't like being idle and he wasn't ready to face anything else to do with Loki and his portents of doom which left him slightly bewildered. He thought of an idea then and found himself smiling.

"Get the suit ready J. I'm going flying."

"Very good sir."

* * *

Encased in metal, he couldn't actually feel the wind rushing past him but he liked to pretend that he could. He'd never get used to the freedom of this, whipping around random skyscrapers, eliciting cheers from civilians below (and a few boos that he chose to ignore). It gave him a tremendous sense of relief.

That was of course shattered when a voice came over the comms. More specifically _Loki's _voice.

"I thought you should know that a portal is about to open in the city," he said with that smooth, British sounding voice of his. Predictably, Tony almost fell out of the sky in surprise.

"_Jesus!" _He shouted pointlessly, correcting his flight path with some difficulty and soaring up and over the buildings. "What the hell Rudolph? How are you even talking to me?" He was aware that he was breathing too heavily to pass off but he couldn't seem to calm his heart - surely something like this shouldn't get as much of a rise out of him.

"Your computer was kind enough to indulge me in this instance, once I assured it that my need was great." Loki sounded pissed off but then, that seemed to be his default state of being.

"A little heads up next time J?"

"Of course sir. My apologies."

Tony gritted his teeth. "What was that about a portal?"

"Energy is gathering in the sky directly above the tower. Given the location of the previous portal and the amount of power that is building up, I can only assume that you're about to be visited by someone not of this world."

"I'm going to ask this once and if you lie to me, I don't give a damn what Thor says, I will skin you," Tony threatened and his voice was like ice. Even he was surprised at the venom there. "Did you have anything to do with this?"

Loki actually growled. "I have told you on multiple occasions that my intentions in this case are true. I will not continually repeat words that you seem incapable of believing." His voice was calm on the surface but somehow the engineer knew that there was rage stirring there, brought on by some deeper emotion he couldn't find.

"Ok," he said eventually, his eyes on the sky. "But you can't exactly blame us for not wanting to trust you. Jarvis, get the team together and call Fury. Tell him we have problems." A few moments later an irate director was growling in his ear.

"What's going on Stark? This had better be important."

"What, I can't call just to say hello?" He asked but dropped the sarcasm quickly, now wasn't the time. "Getting strange energy readings from the skies over New York. _Portal _type readings. Thought you ought to know."

"The team?"

"I have informed them Director," Jarvis intoned helpfully. "Doctor Banner has agreed to remain in the tower unless he is needed and will monitor the energy levels from there. The rest of the team are preparing now."

"The Helicarrier isn't designed for combat in a civilian area. Unless you have need of us, we're staying out of the city."

"Of course you are," Tony replied. He sounded irate but he understood the logic - you couldn't just start hurling nuclear warheads around in the middle of New York without at least trying to take care of it quietly.

"We'll get in contact with the National Guard and local authorities. They should be able to get most people off the streets." The call disconnected with a soft click.

Blue light was arching across the sky now and civilians were starting to take notice, the first screams of terror rising into the air. This was going to go South very quickly, he was sure.

"Loki, you still there?"

"I hear you Stark."

"Whatever happens, do _not _leave the tower. The last thing we need right now is for S.H.I.E.L.D to know that you're in the city, let alone that we're helping you." He didn't know if the god replied to that or not because the next moment there was a bizarre ripping sound and then a gaping hole was tearing itself across the sky and creatures were pouring out of it.

Beyond the initial _'Oh my god it's happening again'_ response he felt a jolt of surprise when the portal started closing again after only a few of the Chitauri's strange flying jet skis zipped through.

"A scouting party," Loki remarked softly in his ear, almost as though he was speaking to himself. "It would appear that Thanos isn't entirely sure of where I am for the moment. He's not willing to risk sending his whole army just yet."

Tony didn't have time to consider that, he was too busy trying to keep track of the data flooding his HUD while flying up to meet the Chitauri head on. He took out one of the ships instantly with a well places repulsor blast but by the time he got to the second one the rest of them had realised they were under attack and started firing back at him. That in itself was fine - the bolts didn't seem to affect his armour - but he was below them which meant any shots that missed him continued downwards, towards streets filled with defenceless New Yorkers. With a curse he jetted upwards, praying that they'd follow him.

"Stark, what's going on?" Steve had apparently found his own earpiece by now.

"Chitauri. Not many of them but I could use a hand." One of the creatures managed to get a shot in just below his arm, sending him tumbling sideways with an oath of surprise. Maybe those bolts weremore effective than he thought. "These things pack a punch," he warned. "Pretty sure they've upgraded their weapons since last time."

"Do we need to get a code green on Banner?"

"I don't think so - we might not need him and there's too many people about." He saw the quinjet that lived on the top of Stark tower taking off and heading in their direction just as a bolt of lightning took out another ship that was tailing him. His repulsors took out another one while the rest were distracted.

"The Chitauri are durable creatures but they were not made for this world. They can't breathe as well here. If you have any need for advice, I'd aim for their necks."

"_Loki?" _Steve cried with surprise colouring his tone but he was ignored.

"Thanks Reindeer Games," Tony shot back. He did as he was bid and had the satisfaction of seeing one of the pilots tumbling off his ship, hands at his throat as he gasped for air. A second blast tore through his chest and he tumbled from the sky.

"Stark, get this fight to a rooftop. If we can get them off those ships we can take them out more easily."

Tony might have been one to ignore most orders and in general say 'screw you' to authority, when it came to battle he did what Steve said. He was by far the better tactician and he was technically the leader of the team so he followed the Captains instructions and landed on top of the closest building.

Initially, it looked like things were going their way. Loki randomly offered up advice that unfailingly proved useful and after a while the team stopped questioning him and just did as he said - it was odd to feel such faith in a man who had once lead the creatures they were now fighting. The weapons had indeed been upgraded but the suit could still withstand them, as could Cap's shield. Thor was, as ever, unaffected. Clint was firing his arrows from an adjacent rooftop while Natasha chased the ships around in the quinjet like a cat would chase a mouse, being very careful as to what she's firing at.

But then the tide started to turn. Tony didn't quite know how that happened but it did. Clint was taken out when a stray blast from one of the Chitauri blew up right in front of him, knocking him backwards hard enough to render him unconscious. Tasha landed beside him and leapt out to defend him while he was helpless but it meant that the Chitauri on the ships could turn their attention to the others.

The Captain was tiring. His shield could take the blasts from the strengthened weapons but he still got thrown back a little each time and it was taking him longer to recover with each hit. Tony found himself back to back with the soldier, allowing him someone to lean on to steady himself as well as covering his blind spots.

The downside to this arrangement was that the suit is most effective as a weapon when he can fly. Grounded as he was, he had to rely on hand to hand combat more and despite still being pretty damn great, he wasn't quite as awesome as normal. There was a shout directly behind him and he saw Steve being hurled across the rooftop, landing hard several meters away and Tony whirled to face the new foe. He knew he was in trouble when the Chitauri fastened an immovable hand on his left forearm and started crushing the suit inwards with a groan of protesting metal. There was a sharp snapping and then a scream was forcing its way out of his throat as pure, blind pain flooded his senses.

When he came back to himself he was flat on the ground and one of the monsters was above him, staff-gun-thing raised above its head, ready to bring it smashing down onto his skull. He could feel his heart pounding erratically and breath was sobbing in and out of his lungs. He didn't even think to call for help.

It was the end.

He was going to die and-

-and the creature was flung off him in a bolt of green fire that seared past him. Rolling onto his feet, Tony spun around to see Loki in his full battle armour, snarling at the monsters with eyes glowing green with magic. He looked almost feral.

Without even acknowledging Stark the god continued his attack, taking down four foot soldiers in a heartbeat before he turned his attention to the jet skis that were still whizzing around them. There was no physical movement from the trickster but suddenly one of them exploded in a roar of fire that sent debris in all directions, taking out a second one in the process.

The commotion had drawn the attention of the rest of the team (including, apparently, Barton who must have woken up at some point and who was now peering at them from the other rooftop) and the comms were eerily silent as they all paused to watch what was going on. The Chitauri they had been fighting turned on Loki but he tore them to pieces with a look - chaos god indeed.

Three more of the little ships were disposed of with apparent ease, scraps of metal and flesh littering the ground, before Loki spun to face the final one with a roar. He brought both his fists up before him, holding them together for a moment and then tearing them apart sharply. Twenty feet away the ship mimicked the action and dropped to the ground.

The pilot was down, injured but still alive, and Loki started marching towards him without even pausing to draw breath. His thrust his hand forward, palm facing the soldier who reacted instantly, six-fingered hands scrabbling at his own throat in panic. A choked growl escaped through dark lips.

"Who sent you?" Loki asked and despite his rage and the carnage around him, his voice was level. _Lethal_. When no response was forthcoming, Loki's fingers clenched slightly and the creature writhed in anguish, more sounds spilling out of it. The team looked on in horror, all too stunned to do anything. "Who sent you?" Still there was no reply and Tony could see Loki's relative calm evaporating like mist. The question was asked again and again for another minute and a half - the engineer was counting - before an answer was torn from the beast.

"_The Master!_" Its voice was deep, guttural and probably the worst thing Tony had ever heard.

Loki went still for a long moment, palm still held out towards the creature. It made another sound of distress and with a disinterested flick of his wrist, the trickster sent his head snapping to the side with an audible crack that sent shivers through Tony's whole body.

No one quite knew what to do. Loki had pretty much singlehandedly destroyed the scouting party but he wasn't even out of breath. It was raw power and it was terrifying. Tony could feel his heart pounding beneath his reactor and the blaze of adrenaline in his veins.

The god was still standing still, apparently too deep in thought to even remember to lower his hand.

"Brother?" Thor took a tentative step forwards, eyes fixed on the younger man as though he was approaching a skittish horse.

The word snapped Loki back to himself. He looked at Thor sharply. "How many times must I ask you not to call me that?" For once he didn't sound angry, just very, very tired. With a weary sigh he turned to face the team who had gathered behind Thor in a silent show of support (Tony didn't want to know how Clint and Natasha had somehow hopped rooftops). "I had hoped..." He hissed softly. "It matters not. Thanos is still searching for me then; you have proof of my tale at last. Maybe now you might take what I say more seriously."

"Loki you cannot ask the people of this world to trust you."

"I do not. If you'll recall, I asked _you _to trust me." There was a pointed look in his eyes that Thor must have understood because he inclined his head slowly.

Tony decided that that was the moment to butt in. "Look, this is all very touching and everything but we have slightly larger problems." He gestured to the windows of the buildings around them, watching as the faces of the civilians watching them disappeared when they realised they'd been spotted. "I'm pretty sure we have about two minutes before S.H.I.E.L.D crashes the party." He glared at the trickster. "I _told _you to stay in the tower."

Loki bristled, pulling back almost imperceptibly. "I do not take orders from you, mortal," he snapped. "Would you rather I had allowed that beast to end your life?"

Tony didn't have a reply to that so he just shifted under the gaze, instinctively cradling his broken arm to his chest. Loki's eyes turned pensive and he held a hand towards him, palm flickering green with a short burst of magic but the engineer didn't even notice as he felt the bones shift back into place and knit themselves together. He must have made some noise of pain because Steve was at his side, Thor was shouting and Clint was loosing an arrow at the god. Loki deflected it with a wave of his hand and a shout of exasperation.

"I did him no harm you _fools,_" he hissed, retreating several steps. "I can re-break his arm if you would so prefer."

The team were looking between Loki and Tony, not entirely sure what was going on. The engineer took a deep breath as the pain in his arm faded to a dull ache. "It's alright. He was helping. But you need to get out of here," he said, directing the last sentence at the trickster who just nodded and disappeared in a whirl of green.

"S.H.I.E.L.D's here," Natasha informed them, nodded to where three quinjets were landing at the end of the street, agents piling out and spreading in all directions.

"Well, this should be a fun one to explain," Tony remarked, chuckling when Steve cuffed the back of his helmet.

* * *

_This was written in chunks so I don't quite know if all the bits fit together, so please point out any inconsistencies. _

_I made up the stuff about Fenris - he was actually tied down with dwarven rope but that would have taken too long to explain and would require even more backstory. The rest is mostly mythologically accurate (except for the thing about saving Frigga - in legend it was Freyja, Odin's wife at the time. I don't know for sure if they're meant to be the same person or not)._

_I didn't intend for there to be so much mythology in this story. I'll try and hold back on it from now on. I just needed to set up Loki as a character with a deep and horribly depressing backstory._

_*This is before IM3_


	6. Chapter 6

_This story is going to have swearing in it from now on. Be warned._

_Also in this chapter we're playing Find the Game Of Thrones Quote. Yay :)_

* * *

The fact of the matter was that they were screwed. _Beyond _screwed. There must have been at least fifty civilians that would no doubt swear that they had seen the God of Mischief himself fighting side by side with the Avengers against the Chitauri and that the team had just let him go once they were done. It would have been ridiculous to even try and lie their way out of it.

So that was exactly what Tony did.

Thankfully Steve had been dragged off to medical with Clint which meant that the two people on the team most unwilling to go along with a cover story were out of the way, leaving Tony to spin the tale of a lifetime.

"What do you expect? Half the people in this city are traumatised from the last time the Chitauri came here, it's no wonder that when the same monsters reappear they start seeing things. They saw the Chitauri and that must mean that Loki's just around the corner." The engineer shot his most charming smile at the director.

Fury glared right back, his fists clenched at his sides. "You honestly expect me to believe that every single one of those witnesses happened to imagine the exact same thing?"

"They might not have been _exactly _the same-" Fury's fist slammed down on the desk between them; Tony did his best not to flinch.

"Mr Stark! Stop _talking_. Agent Romanoff, what is your report?"

Natasha looked back at him steadily, her face entirely blank. "Actually Sir... Stark's telling the truth." Tony's face split into an enormous grin, sending Fury a look that easily read _'I told you so.'_ The director just blinked, once, twice and then sat heavily in his chair, bringing both hands up into a steeple in front of his face.

"And you Thor?" He asked eventually but his voice was weary. If any of them were going to lie to protect Loki it would be the thunder god.

"Friend Stark speaks true. His account is accurate."

"So Loki _isn't _somehow playing you all into believing that he's helping you?"

Tony managed to force his face into an expression that looked suitably offended. "How stupid do you think we are? Besides, do you honestly think that Barton would ever agree to that? He has dreams about tearing Loki's eyeballs out, I'm sure." That much was probably true at least.

Fury sighed. "Well, regardless of what you say we're about to have footage from local security cameras so there'll be no more debate."

Tony went very, very still. That wasn't something he had thought about - _'stupid, stupid, stupid' _- and he somehow doubted that Jarvis would have had the forethought to blank the videos without his command. He watched with building dread as a screen flickered to life behind Fury and they all turned to see the flashing images. It jumped between different camera angles so that you could see most of what was going on even though the images were fuzzy and distorted - _'not distorted enough,' _he cursed mentally.

Thor and Natasha were statues beside him, holding their breath as they watched one of the Chitauri hurl Steve across the rooftop and then grab Stark's arm (he really hoped that Fury would ignore the fact he didn't have so much as a bruise - turns out Loki was one hell of a healer) and force him to the ground. There was a moment where Tony was sure the others must have been able to hear his heart thudding in his chest but then the image on the screen was flickering before there was a bright flash of static and the whole picture went dead.

No one said anything, just stared at the blank screen in confusion and immense relief. And in Fury's case: a growing anger.

"What," he started, his voice deadly calm as he swivelled to look at them again. "What exactly was that?"

Tony was a genius. He prided himself on the power of his brain and a part of that included being able to come up with complete bullshit on command and still being able to keep a smile on his face. He was grinning now but at the same time trying to look sheepish.

"Sorry. EM blast. I was a little desperate to get that thing off me so I just shot off everything I had."

Fury was glaring at him but there was something in his eyes that seemed to be acknowledging that he had nothing to go on here; the might of S.H.I.E.L.D couldn't hold out against the Avengers should they choose to stand together.

"Agent Romanoff, you're free to go," he said, not taking his eyes off the engineer. She left without a word. "Thor. What you think of your brother is your business. But you should know that I have the authority to use whatever means necessary to bring the war criminal Loki to justice and I swear to god if I have a shot to kill him I will not hesitate." He gestured to the door and Thor followed Natasha but not before he growled something unintelligible at the director.

Standing in the room alone with Fury, Tony would be lying if he said that he wasn't a little bit intimidated. Which of course only made him start talking.

"Great so, I'll just be getting out of your hair - or you know, scalp," he said, taking two steps towards the door. His eyes traced Fury's movements as he rose smoothly from his chair and began advancing. "It's been great to see you Nicky, really, we should do this more often..." He felt the door press against his back and he knew that he had nowhere left to retreat to. Fury smirked like he knew what the engineer was thinking before he leaned into Tony's breathing space, snarling.

"I don't know what you and the team think you're doing. I don't know what could possibly compel you to protect _Loki _of all people but I promise you that I will get to the bottom of this and like I said: I will take the shot if I have it, no matter who is standing in my way."

_'Oh god,' _Tony thought in pure terror, _'remind me never to piss him off.'_

_'What? Like by harbouring a war criminal from outer space?' _A second voice mocked. He mentally scowled.

Fury leant back then, apparently reassured that he'd gotten his point across. Tony was out of the door before anything else could be said.

He had a dark haired god to punch.

* * *

When he got back to the tower it took the combined might of Thor and Steve to stop him from putting on the suit and sending a repulsor blast straight into Loki's smug face (he was almost proud of himself). The god was leaning against the bar rolling a scotch glass between long fingers as he watched their antics with unconcealed amusement.

"You would have thought that saving your life might earn me a free pass just this once," he mocked softly. He looked as though he was oozing confidence but his shoulders were tight as he watched the team gather before him - Bruce had emerged from the lab once he heard the fight had been without casualties. Apparently Natasha had filled him in on what he had missed.

"_Free pass?_" Tony repeated in disbelieving fury. "Do you know just how much shit we're in right now because you felt the need to show off?" Steve's hand was still on his arm, holding him back.

Loki's fingers tightened minutely on the glass, the amusement slipping away in the blink of an eye. "You think that I revealed myself today because I wanted _attention? _The _only _reason I have survived thus far is that my enemies do not know where I am. Those Chitauri would have sensed my presence in a heartbeat and had they found their way back to the rest of the hoard Thanos would have been here in days with an army at his back. That is a risk I cannot take. If I have to face off with your pathetic S.H.I.E.L.D then so be it but know this-" he spat, his voice rising in his agitation. "There is no power in all this universe that will ever compel me to kneel before him again. If I have to tear this precious planet of yours to shreds to spare me that I will."

The whole team was silent, hands on weapons in an instinctual threat response - Clint had gone as far as knocking an arrow that he was now pointing in the god's direction. Thor took two steps forwards and then one step back as Loki turned venomous green eyes on him. He held up his hands in something like surrender.

"Brother, you need to calm down." The glass was flung at him but he simply dodged it and didn't comment. "The night you came here, you spoke to me in our native tongue; in the language of the ancient kings. What was it you said to me?" Loki hissed but said nothing. Tony really wanted him to answer - despite the tension of the situation this was something that had been bothering him. "Loki. Tell me. What did you say?" Thor's voice was very soft but there was something feral in Loki's stance, a protectiveness that screamed of his discomfort.

"Thor," Steve cautioned softly, clearly having noticed Loki's growing ire too. He was ignored.

"You told me that you didn't expect us to trust you or your intentions but that you didn't have anywhere else to go. You asked that despite everything I trust you and _I do, _brother," the thunderer stressed, hands half raised as though to pull Loki into an embrace while his eyes were pleading for the truth to be heard. "Please, I beg of you, do not make me regret my trust."

The trickster was almost vibrating with suppressed emotions but all that escaped his lips was an almost inaudible growl. His eyes spat sparks and hands flickered with green light but he didn't attack, maybe because of their alliance or maybe because he could see the adoration within Thor, Tony didn't know. Eventually Loki seemed to loosen, his hands which had been raised in defence dropping to rest at his sides.

"I did not act with the intention of harming your team," he said stiffly. It sounded like it burned him to admit it but he spat the words out regardless before he strode towards the door, eyes sparking with restrained anger.

"Thank you," Tony called after him, smiling inwardly at the way the trickster almost flinched at the gratitude. "For fixing my arm," he clarified. Loki sent him a strange frown over his shoulder but nodded in acknowledgement before he was gone.

They didn't linger after that. Thor had taken off to who knows where, saying that he wanted time to be alone and that he would be back in the near future. Clint and Natasha had crept away together - Tony never bothered to even try and keep track of where they were or what they were doing; sometimes it was just better not to ask.

The billionaire found himself wandering down to his lab alone since Bruce had agreed to spend some time with Steve in the city - for once he actually missed the company. With so much crazy happening it would have been nice to spend the hours with the doctor, carving out whole new areas of science in the small hours of the morning, running on nothing more than excitement and adrenaline but he wasn't about to ask Bruce to bear his company when it wasn't wanted.

"I suppose I should fix my gauntlet," he muttered, recalling that it had been damaged when his arm had been broken. "Maybe I should also work on strengthening the alloy. Damn aliens and their impossible strength." He continued to grumble to himself quietly as he gathered his tools and got to work.

He didn't surface for another seven hours until eventually exhaustion that was bone deep drove him from his nest. As was his custom he first headed to the main room so that he could have a scotch - a small amount of alcohol before he went to sleep sometimes helped to keep the nightmares away which was a blessing. Tonight however he was intercepted slightly when he stumbled upon the God of Mischief perched at the bar, directly between the billionaire and his goal. He half considered just leaving it but Loki had already seen him and he really didn't want to give the smug fucker the pleasure of knowing how afraid he made him.

"You're up late," he commented as he slowly slid into the room, dragging his feet, every nerve within him vibrating with tension.

"So are you," was the calm response, devoid of all emotion. Apparently Loki had spent the hours calming himself down back into the stoicism he usually portrayed.

"I was working, what's your excuse?"

"Perhaps I had business of my own to attend to." That made Tony pause in his slow advance, eyes darting around the room warily. Business with Loki usually ended with something getting blown up or torn apart or generally destroyed. "Oh for the love of-" Loki cut himself off scowling. "You're perfectly safe I assure you. Excuse me." His tone was biting and he made to leave but Tony was directly in his path.

As he passed the billionaire Tony's hand shot out to grab his arm, stopping him in his tracks.

"Hey, wait-"

-and then the world was sliding away like a shadow when light fell upon it, twisting with a lurch that had Tony's heart in his throat and his fingers trembling. When everything righted itself he was no longer looking at his living room with its floor to ceiling windows and wide open spaces but at a sky filled with a million galaxies - there was a momentary flicker of memory about the portal before he shut it down with a sharp slap - and a small platform on which him and Loki stood. The god had gone rigid beside him, literally vibrating with tension and Tony was somewhat alarmed to see that his face had gone pale with fear.

A few feet in front of them a figure shifted and Tony almost jumped out of his skin. Then he had to take two staggering steps backwards as he recognised the figure as Chitauri.

This was it then. Loki had dragged him away to some alien world to deliver him to the beasts whose army he had destroyed, maybe he was going to trade Tony's life for his own, who the fuck knew at this point.

_'And you almost trusted the bastard,' _he thought viciously for about ten seconds before he took note of the body language between Loki and the creature. It was anything other than friendly.

"So the princeling lives," the beast spoke and Tony shook in horror at the sound of that voice, dead and cold and more terrifying than anything he'd ever heard before. He couldn't tell if the creature was looking at him or not due to the black cloth that covered his eyes - maybe it didn't even have eyes who knew and way to prioritise Stark, concentrate for god's sake - but he remained unacknowledged. The monster didn't turn in his direction.

Tony's head was suddenly filled with emotions he wasn't feeling (and several he was) and memories that weren't his. He can see Loki kneeling before a great being (the name Thanos seems to match the image) and a staff - _the _staff - is being handed to him and even though no words are spoken it feels like swearing fealty and the idea burns at Loki like acid but he bears it because he must. Other memories then, falling from a glittering bridge with nothing but pain in his heart, watching his brother fly through the air and not knowing whether he's glad or sorry. The billionaire yanks himself away from the foreign thoughts.

He knows on some base level that he just saw into Loki's head (if he's honest it's nowhere near as insane as he would have believed) which must mean that for now they are somehow connected. This is clearly Loki's vision, maybe he isn't actually here at all and he's still stood in Stark tower, watching this through some kind of mental link.

"The Master would very much like to speak with you."

"Then he can come and find me," Loki spits right back and oh god his voice is shaking and if something can make him this afraid then they should all be running in fear. "If he can of course."

"You would doubt his power? Is this not proof enough? I still have hold of your mind little king, you cannot escape me."

"You have can call me into visions but no more," he said but he didn't sound like he believed it for a second. "My mind is my own again."

"No more?" The beast tilts its head in a way that makes Tony think that if it had eyebrows they'd be rising into its hairline (if it had hair). He catches a wave of fearful anticipation from the god before the creature is speaking again. "You think that I have only words with which to threaten? A demonstration perhaps and you might not be so glib."

And the billionaire doesn't have time to wonder about that before the air starts to vibrate with _something _and Loki is slamming to his knees, a sound tearing from his throat that rents the air in two. Whatever's happening to him somehow works its way through the bond and Tony blanches at the echoes of pain that send him staggering, his entire being shuddering at the wrongness of the feeling.

When it's over Loki doesn't stand again, pushing himself to his knees instead as he pants, blood dripping from his nose. Against the paleness of his bone white face the liquid looks black.

"Do you see our power now? Do you feel that fear again?" The god didn't say a word, apparently more concerned with trying to recover from what had just happened. "The Master wants to deal with you personally when we find you. He would wish to repay you for making us search for so long."

The threat isn't subtle and Loki doesn't flinch even though his mind recoils violently, thoughts churning too fast for Tony to catch. "You called me here for idle threats?" How the god manages to sound flippant he'll never know.

"If you think that they are idle threats you haven't been paying attention. This is a warning. There is nothing that can save you from his wrath except perhaps one thing..." He trails off and it's clear he wants to hear Loki beg for the answers he must desperately crave. It takes a full minute but then:

"Pray tell, what is it?"

The beast smiles with blackened teeth and Tony trembles again. "The Master would have knowledge. He would know who destroyed his army."

Tony's body snaps taut - if his muscles get much tighter his bones are going to start snapping. This was it then. Loki would spill his secrets and get off scot free while Earth burned under the eyes of these monsters, their last hope ripped from them by a betrayal they all saw coming. Loki takes a breath and he steels himself for the words that will end everything.

"There is nothing you can offer me that will make me tell you anything."

It takes a moment for the words to register and then Tony is slammed into the knowledge that Loki is defending them, throwing away what could be his only chance for _them. _He has a few seconds with that revelation before the creature shrieks in rage, words in a language he doesn't know washing over him and then he feels Loki's sheer _terror _before the god is dropping to the ground again and writhing in agony. The backlash reaches Tony and he's falling too even though he can only feel echoes, vague vestiges of what is racking through the god's body and his body is shuddering under the force of such pain.

Everything is on fire but it feels like ice and there are knives embedded in his flesh that jerk and jolt and the sky darkens above them but there's a flash of green that looks like comfort and smells like hope-

-and they're slamming back to Earth.

* * *

_Yay. Exams are over now so I have so much more time to write, which makes me very happy. I've already written 1000 words of the next chapter so hopefully it shouldn't be too long (I think)._

_I hope you liked it. I know that not all that much happened but I swear, I'm building up to something.  
_


	7. Chapter 7

The blood that dripped onto the stone tiles looked black in the moonlight, sliding like oil across the floor. Tony couldn't tear his eyes away, knowing that to look elsewhere meant facing Loki and that was something he so wasn't mentally prepared to deal with right now. The god was still beside him as his breath tore through him like it hurt but he didn't say a word, apparently content to remain there on his knees.

"What..." He started after almost a minute and a half of silence, when the tiles had started to dig into his kneecaps and his joints had began to ache from immobility. "What was _that_?"

Loki didn't respond right away, not looking at the billionaire. Instead his eyes seemed to be fixed on the blood on the tiles that still dripped continually from his nose and mouth, seemingly unconcerned by the fact that it didn't seem to be stopping any time soon. His face was so pale it glowed in the moonlight.

"I take it he wasn't a friend of yours?" Tony shifted then, rolling slightly so that he could sit more comfortably and face the demi-god. "He looked like one of the Chitauri."

There was another long beat of silence and then: "He is their leader and of no concern to you." Loki was struggling to his feet then, one bone white hand coming up to swipe at the blood on his chin as he fought to maintain his balance. Tony shot up beside him but then had to step back as he swayed too, his vision shimmering for a moment at the sudden change in altitude.

"Hey, hey wait! You can't just walk away without explaining what the _hell _just happened!" His hand shot out and then recoiled in an aborted motion to grab Loki's sleeve. He'd learned his lesson in that regard.

The god glared. "I do not have to answer to you," he snapped, finally meeting the billionaire's eyes with more rage than he had ever seen. "It was your own foolishness that caused you to see the vision at all and there is no compulsion for me to explain this to you!"

Tony stepped back slightly, retreating against the fury that was building up in Loki's thin frame. Something was wrong, something was unhinged and if the engineer wasn't careful he was about to become intimately acquainted with an awful lot of pain. "Woah there! Calm down. I just want to know what it is that I saw."

"I thought you were considered a genius among your people?" Loki scoffed. "I'm sure you heard enough to read between the lines. Was that your intent?" He asked suddenly, his mind diving in a completely different direction. "You invaded my mind to discover my plans?"

"What?" Tony's voice was high with surprise and he made no effort to hide it from his face. "You think I did that intentionally?"

There was a pause as Loki narrowed his eyes at the man in front of him, reading the truth in the lines of his face before he nodded very slowly. "You are not lying. It was an accident."

"Of course it was! You seriously think I'd dive into torture-filled daydreams for the hell of it?" Now that Loki's ire seemed to have calmed somewhat, Tony's was sparking to life. He tried to force it back under his control. "Some of us value our lives."

"I am aware of that fact," Loki replied coolly, pulling himself further upright as he distanced himself from the situation. "I did not intend for you to see that. I was unaware the Chitauri still had such a presence in my mind; this was a feat I thought beyond them." The god stepped away and around Tony as he had intended to do all along. It already felt like a lifetime ago.

"Wait wait," the engineer called, very careful not to snatch at his arm a second time. "Was all that _real?_"

"I suppose that would depend on your definition of 'real,'" came the snarky reply, but there was no humour in the voice. Loki just sounded... tired. World weary.

"I thought I felt..." Tony started and then stopped, not really sure how a mentally unstable god would react to the sentence: _'I think I might have seen inside your head,_ _I hope that's alright.' _

"It would be wise to forget everything you have seen and heard this night Tony Stark," Loki advised, his voice so soft that he barely heard it. He started walking away _again. _ "It will do you no good to dwell on mysteries that cannot be solved."

* * *

When he alerted Jarvis to keep him informed of Loki's actions he'd been fairly sure he'd mostly be told that the god was sitting in his room, reading or writing or whatever the hell he did in there all day. One thing he hadn't expected was for the AI to wake him at five am with the announcement:

"Sir I feel it is my duty to inform you that Mr Laufeyson seems to be in some distress."

"Oh god, what's he doing? He hasn't started any fires or anything has he?" Tony was already scrambling out of bed, shaking off sleep in record time.

"Actually sir, he appears to be rather... inebriated."

The engineer jerked to a halt. _'What?'_

* * *

_'You shouldn't be here,' _he told himself sternly. _'This is going to get you killed.'_

When Tony knocked on the door there was no response so he went in anyway, curiosity giving him courage; besides, it was his damn tower. He could do what he pleased.

The room was darker than it should have been, the windows covered with thick falls of cloth that the billionaire certainly hadn't bought and the lights turned down to their lowest setting. Contrary to what he'd been expecting it was very tidy, almost compulsively so, with not an item out of place except for the god sprawled on the floor in the centre of the room.

Loki had his back against the foot of his bed, propping him up since he almost certainly didn't have the strength to take his own weight anymore. The god was as much a wreck as Tony had ever seen him. The bottle in his hand at first glance looked to be filled with water but on closer inspection he could see a very slight green tinge to the liquid and even from several feet away he was hit with the venomous smell - it was enough to make him gag.

"Begone Stark," Loki said, his words slurring ever so slightly. "I have no wish to trade words with you." Tony almost did leave, content in the knowledge that the god wasn't about to do anything too destructive but there was something that made him pause.

It might have been the way Loki's hands were trembling so badly he could barely pour himself another round (using a shot glass that looked suspiciously like one of Tony's) or perhaps the way he didn't seem to have the energy to even lift his eyes to the billionaire. Maybe it was simply that Stark was a sucker for a lost cause and there was something definitely broken right there.

"You don't really look like you should be left on your own right now. Thor can't enter the room and the others are just as likely to kill you as that alcohol is so that leaves me to pull your sorry ass out of the mud."

Calming himself under the assumption that right now Loki was far too drunk to kill him, he slid further into the room and settled himself so that he was perched on the bed, just out of arm's reach.

"Go _away,_" Loki insisted but there was little he could do to enforce the command. He poured himself another shot but his hands shook so much that more than a little of the clear liquid ended up on the carpet - and yet somehow the bottle didn't seem any emptier than it had been moments ago.

"What even is that stuff? It smells toxic," Tony pointed out, trying to find a way to engage the god. He still wasn't sure why he was even bothering. Maybe he was bored, maybe he was curious. Maybe he didn't want to admit that the vision had gotten to him too.

"A concoction of my own making and something that doesn't concern you. Now leave me," he ordered again, straightening infinitesimally as he tried to pull himself together. Tony was somewhat impressed to realise that even with bloodshot eyes and mussed hair the god still looked imposing, still looked dangerous. That said, he was fairly sure that even on his deathbed Loki would be more deadly than anyone else in the universe.

"Not going to happen Reindeer Games," he shot back, subtly checking his bracelets were secured around his wrists. "I saw that vision you know. I don't blame you for being scared out of your mind but I'm telling you - and bear in mind I'm _Tony fucking Stark _- alcohol is not the answer."

"You think me afraid?" Loki asked and his voice had dropped from irritated to ice cold in an instant. He tossed back another shot with more force than was really necessary.

"I'd say that you were a fool if you weren't." He ignored the bleary glare he got for that. "Look man, this really isn't my thing and I'm perfectly willing to admit that I'm well out of my depth here. But whatever you did to this world, whatever I want to think of you, you just protected me and paid the price for it. I think that means I at least owe you favour. Just tell me what you need."

"Some peace and quiet would be greatly appreciated," came the soft reply. Loki's moods were swinging about wildly under the affects of the alcohol and Tony was struck with this strange new trickster who bore almost no resemblance to the normally stoic god. "You need not worry Stark. I'm drunk, not unhinged. Your tower will survive me yet I think."

"Honestly, it's not the tower I'm so worried about right now." He wasn't sure what prompted the admission but he knew in his core that it was true. Enemy, part time ally, whatever Loki was, Tony didn't wish him dead.

"I'm more durable than you give me credit for." The god went to pour another shot, apparently unaware that he hadn't yet drank the previous measure in the glass which resulted in more of the strange liquid soaking into the carpet. He'd have to get the damn thing replaced at this rate.

"Maybe you shouldn't be drinking anymore," he suggested but didn't try to take the bottle away from the god. He liked having his hands attached to his arms thank you very much. Either way he was entirely ignored and Loki just knocked back another glass - damn he must have a tolerance rivalling Thor's. "Or not, whatever." He hummed slightly under his breath, hesitating on the brink.

"You can leave Stark. You've fulfilled your need to be a hero, no daring rescue required thank you. Just let me be." Loki wasn't looking at him but Tony had the impression that had he been he would have been able to see the desolation on the god's face, could picture the expression in his mind.

"Not going anywhere Rudolph, I told you," he reminded him, inching closer minutely. Loki tensed right up like a bowstring, bottle slipping from his fingers as he lunged, throwing himself at the billionaire in a rage that had sprung out of nowhere and tackling him to the floor. Tony panicked, trying to kick his feet out but the god had him pinned with his body weight even as his long, thin hands wrapped around the engineer's throat and constricted.

Choking, his hands almost automatically went to his own wrists to grip the bracelets but before his fingers had found the alarm switch Loki was pulling away, sliding backwards to take his weight off the billionaire. Tony coughed, dragging air into his lungs wildly through sheer terror as he scrambled backwards. The trickster settled back into his previous position with some effort, all the energy draining out of him so suddenly that Tony could almost see it evaporating.

"Go, before I do something I regret," Loki ordered again, his voice cold as ice. Tony was out the door before he'd finished speaking.

Arriving back at his room in record time the engineer slammed the door closed with more force than strictly necessary and locked it.

"Jarvis, the next time I try and do something so apocalyptically stupid remind me of this moment."

"...Of course sir."

* * *

Tony didn't really want to wake up the next morning. His head was pounding even though _he_ hadn't drunk anything the night before (god knows why not) and his body seemed to ache as though he'd been running for too long. No one came to fetch him for breakfast which was a blessing - it gave him at least an extra hour to create and master a stoic face he could wear for the rest of the day.

He probably should tell the others about the vision - it was pertinent information after all - but if he was honest with himself he just wanted to forget the whole thing. It had entirely shattered his perspective of Loki multiple times and his little late night/early morning trip to the god's room hadn't helped much either.

_'Facts Tony, focus on the facts.'_

When Loki had attacked New York he had been working for the creature Tony had seen last night, the leader of the Chitauri. Said creature was also ensuring Loki's obedience through torture. The engineer's whole body trembled in memory of the pain he had sensed in the god and he felt stirrings of pity and admiration swell in his chest. So Loki had been telling the truth when he said that he hadn't worked for them by choice, his hand had been forced in this by events beyond his control.

And what was more interesting was that when given the chance to redeem himself by giving up the Avengers, Loki had refused (and then suffered considerable pain for his actions) even though it would have been so much simpler to just hand them over. Of course it might just have been that the god didn't trust the Chitauri to honour that deal or even that he hated them so much he wouldn't submit to their control again but either way he had protected them and that meant _something. _He just didn't know what yet.

But what really perplexed Tony was that when the billionaire had offered the proverbial olive branch he had been choked for his efforts. Loki had sworn to only act against them in self defence but Tony hadn't been a threat. He'd been trying to _help _for god's sake! Maybe it had just been the alcohol screwing with the god but the trickster had been sober enough to talk - a few slurs not withstanding - and he'd seemed in full control of his faculties.

The whole thing was a mess and he had no idea what his next move was meant to be.

So he simply didn't make one. He pulled himself together, grabbed an apple from the kitchen - Pepper would be proud - and strolled on down to his lab as though nothing had happened. Bruce was there waiting with a coffee pot already brewed and blueprints spread out on a desk, sending a soft smile at Tony when he appeared.

He was certain that over the course of the day the doctor worked out something was up but he was kind enough not to comment until they were winding down for the night (or at least Bruce was, Tony wasn't going anywhere for at least another six hours).

"You've been quiet today. Something on your mind?"

"There's always something on my mind Jekyll, you know that," Tony joked, grinning at the doctor.

"Don't call me that. And you know that's not what I meant."

"Jekyll is a great nickname!" He defended proudly. "You'll learn to love it."

"You can just talk to me you know. I'm only trying to help."

Tony almost laughed aloud at the irony there. That was exactly what he'd been trying to do and then he was being throttled by a god with strength far surpassing his own with little to no warning other than a history of insanity. Ok, he probably should have seen it coming but still!

"It's just..." He started and then shook his head. "I don't even know. Between Loki, the Chitauri, Thanos _and _Kingpin, do you not feel that... I don't know," he repeated quietly. "It's just like something huge is on the horizon but we haven't seen it yet. I get the feeling hell is about to descend and when it does are we going to be ready?"

"We've got Loki on our side, for now at least," Bruce reasoned carefully, clearly considering the question seriously. "That has to count for something. We've taken on the Chitauri before, we can do it again. We can only face the problem in front of us Tony."

The engineer nodded, entirely unconvinced but he knew the doctor was tired. "I guess you're right. You should get some sleep, you look tired."

"I could say the same of you. Not that you'll listen but maybe you should go to bed soon too?"

"Maybe. We'll have to see." Tony waited until Bruce was just leaving the lab before calling after him. "Night Jekyll."

* * *

_This is the shortest chapter so far! I'm really sorry about that. I just wanted to get this out tonight and I really want to go to bed. I hope another chapter should be out soon :) _

_So yeah, drunk Loki. I don't even really know why. I know it's majorly OOC but I figured what the hell. My story my rules. _


	8. Chapter 8

_Slight __**Les Miserables spoilers**__ in this..._

* * *

The worst thing, Tony decided, about having a psychotic demigod living under his roof was that it made him hyperaware of his surroundings at all times, including whenever he was trying to get to sleep. The billionaire was an insomniac at the best of times but now it was becoming a major disruption in his life. He was getting no more than an hour's sleep in thirty and the effects were starting to show in his shaking hands and pale skin until even Thor in all his obliviousness was asking him if he was well.

The one thing getting him through it all had been Pepper. She'd returned to the US a few days ago and he'd flown out to meet her as soon as the plane touched down, pulling her into his arms without prompt or explanation. Just feeling her embrace had been enough to revive him. He'd received the expected slap for his secrecy before she started demanding to know why she was in DC and not New York.

Bruce and Steve had adamantly opposed telling her what was going on, wanting him instead to make up something believable but serious enough that she would go along with his wishes but seeing her face and her eyes so full of anger and concern he just couldn't do it. He told her everything (once they were safely out of earshot of everyone and Tony had checked for bugs), every little detail and explained why he had chosen to let Loki stay, why he thought this was a good idea. She'd been livid.

There was some little more slapping and a lot more screaming - despite his pleas for her to keep her voice down - until Pepper's fury had finally run its course. After that she'd demanded that he allow her to return to the tower so she could at least see with her own eyes that he was safe but he'd been unyielding to her wishes. There was more screaming that ended with a desperate and heartfelt _'please Pep,' _that caught her attention long enough for him to calm her ire. He just couldn't have her in danger too. His heart wouldn't cope. A compromise was eventually reached so that he would be sure to call her at least once a day to reassure her he was still alive and kicking and she would stay well away from New York and wouldn't say a word to S.H.I.E.L.D.

It wasn't perfect but it seemed to work.

He was just ringing off his daily call with Pepper when Bruce wandered into the lab with a gentle smile in greeting.

"Hey Jekyll. So I've been considering coming up with something for Hyde to bash people with. Maybe a hammer like Thor," he mused aloud, glad of a distraction. Bruce was shaking his head before the words were even out of his mouth, his smile folding into a stern frown.

"Don't you dare even think about it Tony. The other guy causes enough damage with his fists, he doesn't need any help." The billionaire opened his mouth to argue but he was cut off. "_No. _Besides, I came down to drag you out of here. Steve's decided that for this to work we should try and be as normal as possible and Clint says that he's sick of watching Thor mope about the tower so it was agreed that we're going to have a movie night."

"I didn't agree to that. And besides, I don't think that two hours of masterpiece theatre is going to be enough to perk up Blondie." Despite his words he started packing up his tools with practiced ease. "Is Mean 'n' Green 2.0 invited?"

"Do you want him to be?" Bruce looked like he had been aiming for that to be a joke but there was too much curiosity in the words for it to be rhetorical.

"Oh yeah," he snarked back. "That sounds like a great idea. Loki would just _love _Star Wars."

"He might." The doctor was watching him intently. It made Tony's neck itch unpleasantly.

"He might also be able to Riverdance but I'm not holding my breath for a performance."

Bruce scowled at him. "You could try and take this seriously you know. Loki isn't some big joke in this - he's dangerous Tony."

"I don't take anything seriously, you know that," he replied but his heart wasn't in it. As if the other day hadn't been warning enough that Loki was all kinds of crazy and that trusting him was tantamount to suicide. He'd made a mistake - he could admit that, even if it was only to himself - and his horrendous miscalculation had almost gotten him killed.

If he was being honest he wasn't even that angry at the demigod. Loki had never tried to convince Tony that he was anything other than what he was, never tried to manipulate him into letting his guard down. He'd said he was on their side but he hadn't resisted anything the team had done to allow themselves to feel safe; in fact Loki had been far more accommodating than any of them had ever considered he would be, staying out of their way and making no attempts to pry for information or anything else he might want.

No, Tony was annoyed at _himself. _He didn't know what had possessed him to do something so utterly insane and not expect it to backfire. That was the worst of it, he supposed; he couldn't quite believe he was actually _surprised. _

_'More fool me I guess,' _he scorned silently.

The silence stretched bleakly until Bruce sighed. "Come on," he said. "You can help us pick a movie."

"We'll watch whatever Nat decides on," he reminded the doctor as he followed him into the lift. "We always do."

"That's only because no one is quite stupid enough to argue with her when she's set her mind to something." The closing doors swallowed Tony's laughter.

* * *

After half an hour of careful deliberation the team decided that putting up with 158 minutes of singing French revolutionaries was better than being the focus of Natasha's wrath. Steve and Bruce actually seemed keen to watch it and Thor was intrigued by the idea of a musical.

Despite having suffered through the film once already with Pepper, Tony found that he would rather stay there than return to his lab alone. For one of the first times in his adult life he found himself craving company and - though he tried not to acknowledge it - the safety it provided.

So he was feeling a little fragile. Could anyone really blame him for that after all? He wasn't exactly having the best of weeks. And so he sat through the film, chuckling when Steve and Thor went a little teary eyed at Fantine's death before he silenced himself at Natasha's glare. It wasn't until a barricade was being thrown together in a random side street and Clint was bitching about everyone's terrible aim that Tony heard it.

At first it was a vague whisper, almost like smoke that flickered in the corners of his mind. No one else seemed to even notice it, watching the movie oblivious to his discomfort. He shifted in his seat, tilting his head to hear better, earning him a curious look from Bruce that he shrugged off, but the noise didn't get any louder or more discernible. Then without warning:

_"I would speak with you Man of Iron." _

Tony went rigid. Every nerve in his body lit with alarm and fear as that softly accented, oh-so-familiar baritone rolled through him like water. Bruce's hand latched onto his arm, his worried face leaning into the billionaire's vision.

"Are you alright?" He asked quietly enough that the others didn't hear. Tony took a few gulps of air before he found the strength to nod jerkily, leaving Bruce looking no happier than before.

He tried again with a little more conviction. "Yeah, sorry, I'm fine," he reassured. The words were little more than a breath but he didn't have enough strength in him at that moment to sound more convincing. Loki was _in his head. _That was not okay. "I need some air," he added, almost running for the door.

He had absolutely no desire to see the demigod but if he stayed in that room a moment longer someone was going to start demanding to know why his skin had turned the colour of sour milk and then he'd have to explain that the psychopath living in their home had wormed his way into his mind. That would go down great.

"Jarvis where's Loki?"

"He appears to be in the kitchen sir," the AI told him.

"Ok," he muttered to himself. That was good news - the kitchen wasn't too nearby and easily avoidable if he stayed away from his lab. His room on the other hand was in the opposite direction. "Warn me if that changes."

"Of course sir."

His room was warm and welcoming, more comforting than he had previously experienced; in all this madness it was like a safe port in a storm, the unchanging variable where he knew he was safe. For a moment he considered calling Pepper but the last thing he wanted to do was worry her further and even if he didn't mention the whole telepathy thing - whatever the hell that even was - two calls in one day would look suspicious without due reason.

Maybe this was what Loki wanted. To have them all chasing their tails to find ulterior motives where there were none and to leave them all so suspicious of every little detail they entirely missed the bigger picture. It sounded like the kind of dick move he would make.

But then the billionaire's mind threw a memory at him, the image of Loki on his knees before the Chitauri leader as he refused to give them up. Tony could remember how it felt as the demigod's will turned to pure iron and he decided that the Avengers should be the ones to side with, could remember the feeling that pulsed through the bond they had shared. If he didn't know any better he would almost call it loyalty.

_'He's loyal to the protection you can offer him, not to you,' _he reminded himself sternly. This wasn't a battlefield that could be won with feelings and sentiment. This needed weapons and steal and magic and anything else they could muster because war was coming whether they liked it or not.

Tony collapsed onto his unmade bed with a sigh. His thoughts were whirling around in circles that weren't likely to find a resolution unless he talked to Loki and that was something he just really wasn't prepared to do right now. He just wanted some space.

But, in keeping with his current streak of luck, it would seem Loki didn't get that memo.

"Sir I should inform you that Loki has left the kitchen," Jarvis said suddenly enough to make Tony jump. No sooner than the words chased away the silence there was a soft but firm knock at the door. "And he is now outside your room."

"What the hell kind of a warning was that J?" He snapped, irked.

"My apologies sir. It would appear as though he teleported from the kitchen and there was insufficient time to give you notice."

Tony was still grumbling to himself as he pushed himself upright on the bed and glared hard at the door as though he could mentally will the demigod to leave him alone. There was a long stretch of silence where the billionaire thought _'go away' _as hard as he could on the off chance that Loki really was camped out in his head - it didn't work. There was another knock and then:

"I know you're in there Stark. I merely wish to talk." Tony didn't say a word in the futile hope that Loki was bluffing and actually had no idea where he was. The door handle twisted sharply as the trickster tried to come in anyway but - thank god - Tony had had the forethought to lock the door behind him. "Avoiding me is childish."

_'I don't care, asshole,' _the engineer thought to himself, still glaring at the door like it had wronged him. Silence reigned again for several minutes and Tony was just beginning to allow himself to believe that Loki had taken the hint and left him alone when a voice sounded from the corner of the room.

"You are of course aware that a simple locked door is of little matter to me," Loki told him dryly, an eyebrow rising in contempt when Tony jumped out of his skin with a squawk of surprise.

It took him a moment to pull together enough nerve to have a coherent comeback. "I'm aware that most people do not consider a locked door an invitation _to enter the room anyway. _Get lost Loki, I don't have the patience to deal with you right now," he warned, though what he hoped to do to force the demigod to comply he had no idea. Out of his suit he was all but helpless.

"Oh stow your wounded pride, it does you no favours," Loki snapped back, annoyance flickering across his features very briefly before he hid them behind the usual unfeeling mask. Tony made a conscious effort to remind himself that the emotions behind said mask were not something he wanted to mess with - he had bruises from the last time he had tried - and if he wanted to survive it was best to just do what Loki wanted until he left him alone.

"What do you want?" He let his voice harden into open hostility, having to resist the urge to cross his arms across his chest to give the illusion of protection.

"I told you; I wish to speak with you." He had the nerve to sound put upon. Tony almost hit him.

"Yeah so you said. _Inside my fucking mind!" _Hands clenched into fists as he said the words aloud, the violation clear in his tone.

Loki just shrugged like the smug little git that he was. "You were out of my reach. It was the easiest way of getting your attention."

"Don't you _ever _do that again," he ordered stiffly. "To any of us."

"Who else would I call upon? If I had any interest in talking to Thor he would happily meet with me face to face. I am certain that if I tried to approach Barton's mind for a second time he would start shooting arrows at me and no doubt your spider would have a similar response. And I am not fool enough to purposefully startle the monster."

"First off," Tony snapped, his anger growing into full blown rage that he could barely contain. Everything about this situation made him want to start throwing punches. "His name is Bruce and out of everyone in this building he is the least monstrous. And besides, I don't think you're really someone who can throw that accusation around, do you?" Loki's face darkened instantly but the engineer kept talking anyway, his ire loud enough to drown out the desperate warnings in his mind to be careful. "Secondly, you could always talk to the good captain. I'm sure he'd be up for a chat. Now if you'll kindly get the hell out of my room, that would be great."

Loki didn't budge. "If there is one think you should have realised about me by now is that I'm not _good-_" Tony snorted, "-and as you well know there are few people in this realm that surpass Captain Rogers in that regard. Why would I spend time talking to someone so completely and utterly predictable?"

"I don't know, alright? I don't have the faintest idea why you're even here, what scam you could possibly be trying to pull off. Maybe there's not a trick to be found. _I don't know." _He forced himself to his feet to pace, though he made sure to keep Loki in his eye line at all times. "And I hate not knowing things, it makes my skin itch until I figure it out. But you're this big cosmic riddle that fights back!" He threw up his hands in frustration.

Loki seemed to pull away from him even though he didn't step back. There was something in his face that Tony didn't want to have to decipher so he did his best to pretend it wasn't there as he continued to pace, releasing pent up tension.

"You know what the worst thing is? That I was actually surprised. I thought for just one moment maybe I could trust you but-" He cut the words off with a click of his teeth, aware that finishing that sentence would probably get him gutted. That thought finally allowed his common sense to retake the wheel and he realised that he was ranting at Loki without a care for the massive amount of danger he was in.

_'Way to stay in control Stark.'_

The god didn't seem angry though. He was watching Tony as though what he saw intrigued him, as though he had found something worth studying. It was simultaneously flattering and downright terrifying.

"I came here because..." Loki took a breath as though steeling himself. "I owe you an apology for my behaviour. I promised your safety and yet I attacked you in a moment of weakness. Please believe me when I say that it will not happen again."

Tony heard honesty in that voice, heard the need for this to be believed but experience was a bitch of a teacher and the message had hit home, even if it had taken far longer than it should have done. _Do not trust him. _

"You'll have to forgive me if I'm done taking the things you say at face value. Like I said, I don't have a fucking clue what you're even trying to accomplish here. You proved your point - Thanos is coming and unless we work together we're all going to die. I get that. We work together and it's all kittens and rainbows and then once this is over we go our separate ways, back to the regularly scheduled trying to kill each other." He was ranting again but Loki didn't seem willing to rise to the bait. Tony had no idea why he was trying to bait him. "So why exactly are you here?"

The god paused for a moment, eyes narrow. He looked almost as though he thought he had missed something and was now desperately trying to play catch up without his confusion being noticed. "You said it yourself: we have to work together."

"Yes, but why are you _here_? In this room right this minute? Somehow I doubt the sincerity of your apology. 'I'm sorry I almost choked you to death?' I'm not buying that."

Loki took a step back, drawing himself up in what appeared to be outrage. "Do not believe me then," he snapped, stoicism giving way to anger. "It matters little. I made an error in judgement in coming to see you so I shall take my leave. Good night Tony Stark."

He vanished in a whirl of green fire that almost knocked the engineer off his feet with the heat blast it gave out. He would swear that Loki's teleportation wasn't normally that destructive. Then again the god was pissed and hadn't Thor said something about control of magic being affected by emotions?

_'Who the fuck cares,' _he told himself even while the mathematical part of his mind whirred as he considered how magic worked. It annoyed him that he found it so interesting, that he felt such a need to understand this strange new science. Curiosity was in his nature but everyone always said that it would kill the cat in the end - in this instance there was a good chance they were right.

_'This is a problem for tomorrow. You've pissed off Loki, confused your friends and haven't answered any of the questions you had when you woke up this morning. It's been a good day.' _He snorted aloud.

"Is there anything you require sir?"

"Nah, I'm fine J. Actually," he corrected himself suddenly. "Where's Loki?"

"He teleported to the roof sir. He doesn't appear to be doing anything destructive. He is merely looking out over the city."

"Picking a target perhaps," Tony muttered to himself but he didn't believe his own words.

_'My god you don't still trust him do you?' _One part of his mind was screeching, demanding to know why he wasn't assembling the team and kicking the trickster out (or off) of his tower. Another part shoved memories of the vision at him, as well as Loki's face during their encounters throughout this whole disaster. The god hadn't seemed to be the venom filled maniac he had once been. _'That's not a good enough reason to trust him and you know it! Are you trying to get killed?'_

He shook himself. Mental turmoil aside he had other things to deal with like having a shower and going to sleep. Maybe somewhere a god would smile on him long enough for him to get a decent amount of rest. He snorted again.

_'Like hell. With my luck Loki has been assigned to be my guardian angel. It would explain an awful lot.'_

This was the problem: his thoughts were continually drawn back to the one person he wanted to forget about completely, at least for now.

_'Shower,' _he ordered himself sternly. _'You can let your curiosity kill you after you've had at least four hours sleep.'_

* * *

_For the record I love Les Miserables - the film and previous concert versions etc. I just don't think it would be Tony's kind of thing._

_GUYS! Today (4th July 2013) is the one year anniversary of the first chapter of Taken! It would have been great to post the final chapter of that today but I just haven't had the time to finish it yet so I'm posting this instead. I hope it's alright._

_To the American readers: Happy 4th July, try not to blow yourself up with fireworks etc. _


	9. Chapter 9

Loki was angry. No, that was too small a word - Loki was _furious. _He could feel more rage coursing through him than was safe but he couldn't find the strength within himself to let it go. He'd hoped that by coming out onto the rooftop he might be able to find comfort in the horizon but his eyes were continually drawn to the sprawling mass of the Midgardian city laid out before him and the reminder of where he was, how far he had fallen, only served to enrage him further.

He was a _god _and he had been reduced to begging these pathetic mortals for help so he could save his own hide. He didn't know if he was more angry at Stark or disgusted by himself.

What right had the Man of Iron to declare him a liar? The fool didn't realise how much it had taken from Loki to actually apologise - something else he could hate himself for later - and he had just thrown it back in his face like any worthless platitude.

"Damn him," Loki said softly. He could feel his own nails drawing blood from his palms but he didn't care.

It wasn't as though he didn't know his reputation and he couldn't fault Thor for being slow to trust him again - if he had then Loki would have considered him a fool not worthy of his time. But when in his very long life had he ever lied to Tony Stark?

His mind was throwing itself in circles as the rage built up in his chest, red hot and white cold all at once, so immense that he could barely breathe under the force of it. Beside it sat the now-permanent ball of self loathing that had taken up residence above his heart, pressing in on him as a reminder of his own pitiful situation. Here he stood, seething at a mortal for his disbelief. How had everything gone so wrong for him?

He let out a long drawn out sigh, feeling small sparks of magic twitching from his fingertips in response to his heightened emotions. A loss of control, how juvenile.

Unable to think of anything else to calm himself - other than random destruction which probably was inadvisable - he spent the next few minutes wrestling his magic back under his control. If he lost it entirely then there would certainly be no change of an alliance with the Avengers; there wouldn't be that many Avengers left. The tower would be entirely decimated for sure.

In time he felt his seething rage cool into something less wilder, more controllable. To his complete disbelief, he could feel the beginnings of hurt stirring inside him.

_'No,' _he told himself fiercely. _'You cannot care. You must not care!' _But he did, he realised and that thought alone was almost enough to shatter his newly regained control and send his world spiralling back into the mess it had once been. After all this time he should have known. He should have _known. _He couldn't count on anyone other than himself, he was the only person in all the nine realms that he could truly trust - the irony in that was almost painful.

There had been a saying once among the elves of Alfheim: 'A man who has lied cannot ever tell the truth as no honest man would believe him again.' How true it was of himself. There was nothing he could say to these mortals that they would ever truly believe, considering everything he said as untrustworthy and he _wasn't, _damn it! Curse them all.

His thought trail ended there, shattered when a spike of pain tore through his lungs as though it were a knife, biting at his heart like a rabid dog. He gritted his teeth, doubling over slightly to try and alleviate the sudden ache. A thin rivulet of blood trailed from his nose, leaving an iron taste on his lips.

With everything he had to balance at the moment it already felt like drowning but now he had to contend with the Other's torments too? He'd go mad unless he could find some solid ground. At least he had the benefit of several light years of distance between him and most of the Chitauri force - it meant that despite the pain, the Other couldn't actually do any serious damage to the god. For now at least.

He had considered warning the Avengers of his predicament but he couldn't see what good it would do other than further their distrust - it would be unwise for him to highlight his past connection to the force they now had to fight any more than necessary. Stark knew of course but it didn't seem as though he was going to tell the others about what had occurred that night, for whatever reason Loki was unsure. Maybe he was scared Loki would punish him for such an act, maybe he thought it wasn't any of their business. Right now he just couldn't bring himself to care.

It _did _bother him though, how he couldn't read Stark in the way he could everyone else. Thor he knew too well. Rogers, Banner and even the little spider to some degree were relatively simple once you understood where they had come from and what trials had befallen them - all such information he had taken from Barton. The archer, of course, presented no mystery at all though Loki had to admit, if he hadn't seen inside the Agent's head, he would have had a hard time reading him and Romanoff. And then there was the Man of Iron.

Stark was... like a closed book. He could see the cover, the front Tony put up for the rest of the world and he knew that it wasn't the whole picture but he just couldn't see inside. There was hurt in there, and something a lot like loneliness but Loki couldn't go deeper. It was both intriguing and incredibly frustrating.

The pain spiked again and his musings scattered like startled colts. He groaned very softly, fingers kneading the bottom of his ribcage in a futile effort to relieve some of the tension there. He took one last look at the horizon that wasn't his home before he sighed and let the magic swirl around him, warm and comforting, to send him safely back into the confines of his room.

* * *

Tony hadn't seen Loki for almost a week now. That guilt that had stirred slightly when he had argued with the god had intensified into an almost solid lump that weighed down his stomach and caught in his throat. From what Jarvis told him, the god had holed up in his room again and - far more worryingly - seemed to be in declining health. Tony had been trying his best to talk to the trickster but his efforts were somewhat limited when Loki wouldn't even open the door for him; He'd have gone in anyway if it wasn't for that fact that a) he was sure that it would get him killed in an instant and b) Loki had done something magical to the door that sealed it.

In time the billionaire had simply started telling himself that it didn't matter, that _he doesn't care. _He never started believing it.

Despite the feelings that seemed to be clawing out his insides, he did actually have other things to be worrying about. He hadn't told his friends about his little spat with the god and thankfully none of them asked about his erratic behaviour, too distracted by the growing threat of Wilson Fisk. Two more bombs had gone off, one in New York and another in Providence (no one quite knew what significance Rhode Island held) and even though no one had been killed they were all still on red alert. It would only be so long before people started dropping.

Fury seemed continually irate, his tolerance for Tony's jibes down to zero (not that it had been that high before) and the tension in the tower had grown to the point it was almost hard to breathe.

"I just got off the phone with a friend of mine at S.H.I.E.L.D," Clint announces without preamble as he strides into the living room. Steve and Tony, who had been quietly discussing the engineer's upgrades to their security systems (Steve mostly just nodded along with all the technology speak he didn't understand), both looked up in surprise.

"Trouble?"

"More like complete lack of it," the archer told them, settling into one of the sofas. "It's like all the villains of the world have gone on holiday. The biggest news today was a bank robbery in Michigan and the local cops have already caught the guy that did it - hardly something requiring the Avenger's help."

"Isn't this good news?" Tony asked him, frowning just a little. "We tend to like it when we have days off."

Clint grimaced at him, shrugging. "I don't know man. Doesn't it just feel like..."

"The calm before the storm?" Steve finished glumly. Tony shuddered slightly despite himself, vaguely remembering saying something similar to Bruce the other day. It was more than Fisk, more than Loki... Something the billionaire didn't have a name for but terrified him all the same.

"We'll weather it. We have before," he insisted even though he didn't believe it.

"Not like this," Clint replied softly, shaking his head slowly. "This is nothing we were ever trained for." It sounded like he was quoting someone but Tony didn't recognise the words.

"Were we trained for _any_ of this? Sure, most of you have been taught how to fight at some point but aliens? Gods? Freaking flying robots? I don't think any of what we do was covered in Spy 101, was it?"

That dragged a small smile out of the assassin and even Steve huffed the breath of a laugh. "True enough," the archer conceded. "I guess this means that Loki was right?" Tony nodded slowly. "Damn. I was really looking forward to putting an arrow in his brain."

"I, for one, am glad that you will not." Clint actually jumped out of his chair, a gun materialising in his hand from fucking nowhere to point at the god standing in the doorway. Steve gasped a little but didn't move an inch, doing his best to look unaffected. Tony... Tony didn't know what to do. Loki had been avoiding him since the _incident _and it made no sense for him to suddenly forgive the engineer now.

"What are you doing?" Clint demanded, all trace of relaxation banished from his face to be replaced with the sharp edged exterior he wore into battle.

Loki sighed tiredly. Taking a closer look, the god actually looked exhausted, pale and trembling. "I thought you just said you would refrain from trying to maim me," he said pointedly, eyeing the gun with disdain. "As for what I am doing: I am getting a drink." He gestured innocently to the bar at the side of the room.

Tony felt ice trickle down his spine. "You sure that's such a great plan?"

The trickster didn't even do him the courtesy of meeting his gaze, turning instead to the bar and moving over to it. Tony might be imagining it but he looked a touch less graceful than normal. "Fear not. No alcohol produced in this realm has the potency to affect me. I simply crave something other than water."

Clint scoffed slightly. "You don't deserve any better." He still hadn't lowered his gun.

"Perhaps not. Are you planning on shooting me to ensure it?" Loki sounded as unaffected as always, though Tony noticed he never allowed the assassin out of his field of vision.

"Put the gun down Clint," Tony told him. "As fun as it might be, putting a bullet in Thor's little brother is not going to do us any favours."

The archer hesitated before he put the weapon back in a holster on his leg that Tony hadn't even noticed before. It was so rare to see Clint without it that it almost seemed like part of him now. "Just know that I still don't trust you and if it comes to it, I will not hesitate to put a bullet in your brain."

"And that is just about the smartest thing any of you have said since I arrived in this realm," Loki told them, a strange smile flickering across his features. "I'm almost impressed."

"I don't give a damn what you think of me," the archer retorted primly as he settled back into his seat, more rigid than before. Discomfort was written in every line of his body.

"Do not think me unaware."

"Oh," Clint muttered bitterly but still loud enough for Loki to hear every word. "Of course you know. You thought it would be fun to poke at me with that sceptre of yours and take a jaunt through my head just for shits and giggles. You know every little thought going on in here don't you!"

Tony was fairly sure that if Barton's muscles clenched any tighter, his tendons would start tearing in two. His ire was nothing though compared to the fuming god whose hand had gone white around the tumbler in his shaking hand.

"Presume not that I am the thing I was," Loki snapped, the words rolling off his tongue. Steve started slightly, frowning.

"How do _you _know Shakespeare?" And that one little question was enough to somehow diffuse the whole situation - Steve had a way of doing that that was nothing short of miraculous. Tony both hated and admired the trait.

Loki stared at the Captain for a long moment before loosening his hold on the glass and snorting humourlessly. "You should keep in mind that I was not always the crazed warlord you think me. In days long ago I was a prince of Asgard."

"And the royalty of Asgard learn about English playwrights?" Clint's general demeanour of anger slipped slightly into disbelief before snapping right back, looking as though he was annoyed at his own mistake.

Loki rolled his eyes, annoyed. "Of course not. Good little princes like my brother learned how to throw a hammer and lead an army." He didn't seem aware that he had just called Thor his brother and no one was stupid enough to comment on it. "I, on the other hand, preferred my magic and my books. When I ran out of Asgardian tomes, I turned to the other realms for entertainment. I must assure that my disdain for your people does not extend to your literature - compared to the scribes of Asgard this realm is blooming with poetry and fiction like no other." He stopped there, a vague little frown creasing his features momentarily before it smoothed out again.

There was something different about Loki. Tony couldn't quite decide what it was but there was something in the way he was speaking now that wasn't the same as before. Maybe it was the emotionlessness of it. Up until this point Loki had spoken with passion about almost everything but now his voice was almost dead, as though he was speaking about someone who wasn't himself.

"Wasn't it your duty to 'learn to throw a hammer?' Didn't you get in trouble?" The engineer really should learn to quell his curiosity.

Loki gave that humourless little snort again. "More than you can comprehend." He was trying to appear unmoved but Tony could see his fists were clenched loosely and he was refusing to look at the engineer, his eyes fixed on the coffee table instead. "In the end I learned to throw knives instead to placate Odin and win me my freedom back."

In an instant there was a blade in Loki's open palm, glinting softly in the light from the windows. It was a simple thing, smaller than four inches from end to end with a small guard so that it could be handled without losing fingers. The god tilted it slightly and Tony could see that the blade itself was barely thicker than a hair; in anyone else's hand it would have looked fragile but in Loki's elegant fingers, it looked deadly.

Clint and Steve had drawn back slightly at the appearance of a weapon but Tony found himself curious, leaning forwards to see it better. New things had always fascinated him.

"What's it made of?"

"Valyrian steel*,"Loki answered, sounding surprised at being asked. "It does not exist in this realm." And as quickly as it had appeared, the dagger was gone, vanishing back into a hidden pouch.

"But you can throw spells though, can't you?" Tony knew he was pressing but he had never been able to suppress his scientific curiosity when it flared up. "Why use daggers when you can throw fire in someone's face?"

That actually drew a sharp smile from the demigod that flickered and faded in seconds but Tony was still going to count it as a win. "As much as I appreciate the sentiment, it would do me little good if I found myself in the middle of battle and out of magic. I always strive to have some form of backup plan should my powers fail me."

It made sense, Tony supposed. He became aware suddenly of how the situation had changed. The conversation had brought them from each other's throats to sitting casually (the trickster was technically leaning on the bar but whatever) discussing Loki's upbringing like it was a normal occurrence. Steve just looked intrigued and even Clint couldn't hide all his curiosity behind the angry mask.

There was something else Tony wanted to ask but he knew that as soon as he did this conversation would be over and then he'd lose his opportunity to learn about the god. But it needed to be said all the same. "What's your backup plan if _we _fail you?"

Loki didn't react like the engineer had expected - he looked as though he had anticipated the question. "In case it wasn't obvious already, this _is _my backup plan." He looked pained at the thought. "If we can't defeat Thanos together then I find myself out of options."

"And what happens to you then?" Clint asked, his voice hard.

"Then? If we fail, well then I'll be asking you to put that bullet in my brain after all." And with that, the trickster vanished in a flare of green light.

* * *

"I heard you had a run in with Loki," Bruce said. He'd spent a majority of the day in the lab with Tony and they'd worked in companionable silence for the most part. It wasn't until now that the doctor was broaching the subject that had clearly been bothering him the whole time.

"A run in? Is that was Steve said?" Tony snorted when Bruce blushed slightly. "You shouldn't listen to gossip Jekyll. You never know who to trust."

"I think Steveis just about the only person you _can_ trust with gossip," he pointed out. "Talk to me Tony, I know something is going on here."

"God, you make it sound like this is end-of-the-world-bad and it really isn't. It's more... I-should-watch-my-back-bad."

"That's still pretty bad."

"But not horrific."

"You're trying to distract me Tony and it isn't going to work."

"I think it will."

"_Tony,_" Bruce whined, drawing out the name in a way that would make Pepper proud. "I'm your friend. I just want to know you're okay."

The engineer huffed heavily in defeat, glaring at the doctor. "I hate you."

"I'm sure. Now spill."

And so Tony told him everything - right down to the vision and the choking and the guilt that had followed. Through it all Bruce just listened, not offering comments until the engineer finally ran out of words.

"Woah."

"Yeah."

"Visions?"

"Tell me about it."

They sat in silence for a long moment. "I guess Loki was telling the truth about Thanos then," Bruce said eventually.

"So it would seem. And I think... I think that the Other is still bothering him. You should have seen him today - he looked like he was about to keel over."

"Do you think he's going to become a danger?"

Tony thought for a long moment. That was the big question wasn't it? "I think that... if he has any say in it at all then he'll fight Thanos with everything he has. I don't think a little pain is enough to break him. He's far too strong for that." He had another thought then but he didn't want to voice it: _'Maybe he's not too strong. Maybe he simply has nothing left to break.' _The thought left him hollow.

"You trust him," Bruce said, not accusing but Tony still felt his guard rising.

"He didn't rat us out to the Other when he could have done. They _hurt _him and he still refused to talk. I'm not stupid enough to think that he wants to help us but... he _hates _them Bruce. I know that much. And working with us is the only real chance he has of defeating them - they're too strong for him to take on alone."

"Is that you or him speaking?"

The engineer pulled away, offended. "Is that what this is? You think I've been taken in?"

"I think... I don't know what I think." Bruce sighed, not meeting Tony's eyes.

"Yes, you do. Say it Bruce. I thought this was Honest Hour."

The doctor stared at him and then shrugged with faux calm. "I think that you see yourself in Loki. I think that, in your head at least, if you take away Pepper and Rhodey then you get to him. Estranged father? A need to prove himself? Does any of that sound familiar?"

Tony should have been offended. He probably would have if he hadn't come to the exact same conclusion not all that long ago. The more he learned about Loki, the more similarities appeared: a desire to prove himself to his father, the feeling of abandonment and above all an overwhelming crush of guilt for all that he had done. Tony had had Pepper to kiss away the darkness, Rhodey to drag him into the light, the Avengers to keep him there. Loki? He had had the Other. He hadn't been given the chance to let go of his guilt before it hardened into a bitterness he now wore as an armour.

They were the same but for the meddling of fate.

"I got a second chance, didn't I?" Tony asked Bruce quietly, after the silence had dragged on for far too long. "Why can't he?"

To that, Bruce didn't have an answer.

* * *

_I'm releasing this chapter in honour of my 19th birthday, which is on the 7th. Have a good day on me._

_*I've been reading Game of Thrones again and it was the only thing that would come to mind. All credit to George R.R. Martin._

_Also yay, really vague Hollow Crown reference :)_

_Little bit of Loki's point of view this time. It's something I should be going into more now, so it will be a little less Tony heavy. However, the two of them are still the main characters and will be appearing in every chapter - in theory at least._


	10. Chapter 10

_I don't even know what happened with this chapter. I was in a really bad mood._

* * *

Tony had decided that the universe must hate him. What other reason could there be for him to be racing through the skies at one in the morning in complete desperation as the miles whipped past below him? Far in the distance he could see the lights of DC flickering and he forced himself faster, ignoring the way the suit juddered around him under the force.

"Sir, the suit is not designed to sustain this speed for any length of time," Jarvis warned him calmly. Somehow the AI knew that what Tony needed right now was a reassuring presence that wasn't trying to tell him how crazy this was. "If you try and proceed like this you will drain the reactor before you reach the city."

"Find the power somewhere J," he ordered back without even pausing.

There'd been another explosion, larger and far more powerful than any of the previous ones and for the first time people had been hurt. All information coming out of the city was muddled and distorted - no one seemed to know exactly what was happening. Tony's problem?

The explosion had gone off in Stark Industries headquarters.

The very same building that Pepper had been working in since she got back from China.

_And Tony hadn't heard from her._

That thought alone was enough to send him spiralling into a panic but he was doing his best to hold it together, sane enough to know that freaking out wasn't going to help anyone. He'd set off for DC as soon as he heard the news, ignoring his teammates' pleas for him to wait. They were a team and they worked together but Pepper was family and no matter what happened she would always come first.

"To-y!" There was too much static on the line to make anything out too clearly. "Wh-_bzzzz_-ou-_bzzzz_-can't-_bzzzz_." It cut out abruptly.

"Jarvis, can you clear the signal? We're not that far away, are we?"

"I have disabled the long range detectors to provide power for your repulsors sir," he replied, unapologetic. "Would you like me to turn them back on?"

Tony considered that for a long moment, weighing his options. If he ignored the team then he'd be in serious shit later but he'd reach Pepper sooner. On the other hand, he might need the team as backup.

"Slow us down just enough to reach them J," he said eventually, feeling the slight decrease in speed and almost regretting his decision. Hey, he was becoming responsible, when did that happen?

"Tony! Can you hear us?" Steve's voice was much clearer now.

"I'm here Cap and before you start chewing me out, there is no way I'm waiting for you to catch up."

"I wasn't going to ask you to," he replied, sounding almost affronted. "But I'd appreciate it if you would stay in radio contact."

"That seems fair. Any more news?"

"We haven't heard from Pepper," he told him, understanding what was really being asked. "I'm sorry Tony."

"It doesn't mean anything," he insisted stubbornly. "There was just an explosion in the capital city, phone lines are going to be all over the place. Even SHIELD are struggling to keep track of everything."

"Of course. She'll be all right," Steve reassured.

Tony grimaced at thin air. "You're not great at the whole comforting thing, you know that?"

"I know. Sorry." He didn't sound all that apologetic. "Wait, we're getting a transmission from Fury." There was a very long pause in which the lights of DC grew closer and Tony worried so much his head started hurting.

"Tony? You still there?" It was Clint this time.

"Yeah. Talk to me. What's happening?" No one commented on the way his voice was shaking so much it was barely understandable.

"From what they can tell, there were three explosive devises, two in SI headquarters and one a power station nearby. It's why it's been so hard to get information, the power grid for that whole section of the city is offline for the foreseeable future." It was an effective tactic but Tony was too enraged to acknowledge it. "In the chaos most phone networks were overloaded too. It's a mess. We're down to long range radios."

"That's something," Bruce commented. He was on the quinjet with the others but only so he could act as a physician if needs be. No one needed the Hulk causing even more damage right now.

"Not enough," Tony replied darkly. He was reaching the city now, the first lights passing below him. Further off he could see a dark patch of space and he threw himself towards it. "I'm nearing the blast area."

"Be careful Tony," Steve warned him. "I highly doubt hitting your company's headquarters was a coincidence."

"I'm aware. Don't worry, I'm watching my back."

When he landed, he had to pause for a moment the calm the horror that built in his throat and clogged his lungs, cold and awful. There was smoke everywhere and here and there fires were being wrestled under control by firemen and a few brave civilians. People dashed this way and that, shouting and crying and coughing, too focussed on their own needs to even notice Iron Man standing there. He shook himself out of it viciously.

"Jarvis, tell me you have something."

"I'm currently trying to pinpoint Miss Potts' phone signal. One moment sir." It was the longest moment of Tony's life. "I have it." The HUD flickered and a glowing dot appeared, directing Tony where to go.

When he reached the spot he started tearing at the rubble like a man possessed, only slowing himself down to make sure he didn't inadvertently cause any collapse. One or two people noticed what he was doing and moved in to help though they were limited by human strength and could only offer minor assistance.

Pepper wasn't buried deeply. When he first spotted her fiery hair amongst the dust and stone his heart almost stopped beating and he came to within an inch of throwing up. She was hunched in on herself and covered in dirt and _oh god she wasn't moving. _He reached for her on instinct, before he stopped himself; she could be hurt and in his armour he would only do more harm.

"Help her," he commanded his small team of helpers, stepping back so he could pull himself from the suit. By the time the last plate had slid away from his skin, Pepper was out in the open, lying unconscious on a cracked slab of concrete. The people around her backed away at his approach, one dashing away to find a doctor no doubt. "Pep," he said softly, slipping an arm behind her shoulders and pulling her into his arms.

She stirred very slightly but didn't awake, her face stained with blood and sweat and dirt. She shook ever so slightly. Tony didn't know he was crying until the small drops of liquid were falling on her face, leaving tiny trails in the grime, and his breath was aching in and out of his lungs.

Apart from the obvious lack of awareness, she seemed relatively unhurt but that did little to calm Tony's fraying sanity. Just because she looked alright didn't mean she wasn't bleeding out from some internal injury or something like that – he cut that thought off as soon as it had begun, unwilling to face it.

"You have to be ok Pep," he whispered into her hair. "You can't die because of me."

And that was the worst part of it, he supposed. Knowing that this was all his fault – like Steve had said, it wasn't a coincidence Stark Industries had been targeted.

When a man approached him, Tony didn't even look up, not caring who it was. A doctor no doubt. It was only when a firm hand was laid on his shoulder that he dragged his eyes from the nothingness he had been staring into and fixed on some very familiar green irises.

He froze mind whirling. The face was wrong, the nose too wide and the lips too full, with short blonde hair and tanned skin but the eyes were the same. They regarded him solemnly.

"_Loki?" _

The unfamiliar man glanced around in alarm. "Not so loud if you don't mind," he criticised. "I'm not wearing a different face for fun." The voice was different too, still foreign sounding but not the cool British tones he had come to associate with the god. Tony couldn't place the accent.

"What are you doing here?" He hissed, instinctively curling over Pepper's body a little more. With his nerves frayed as they were, all he could see right now were threats.

"I came to help," he said after a moment, as though he had been deciding what to say. "Your machine allowed me to listen in on the conversation with the others and I found myself curious to see what was happening. So I came."

"How did you even get here?" He asked. His mind wasn't working as it should, getting caught on insignificant details and stumbling over basic facts. Too much of him was centred on the fragile body still cradled in his arms to care much about anything else.

Loki rolled his eyes and even in a different skin the action was familiar. "I'll assume that your worry has rotted some brain cells. I can teleport, remember?"

Tony almost cared enough to feel stupid but then Pepper made a soft sighing sound and the rest of the world faded out of focus. Her pale skin seemed to be turning greyer by the minute and unless he was imagining it, her breathing was getting more laboured.

"Stark," Loki snapped, bringing him back to focus. "There is not much time; you have to let me heal her."

There was an urgency in his voice that sounded genuine but Tony's guard was immediately up. He could allow himself to trust the god if he had no other choice but he wasn't going to risk Pepper over it, she was far too valuable.

"No," he snapped, pulling her further into his chest, while still being tremendously careful.

The god looked annoyed. "She is dying and there is nothing you or your healers can do to save her. The only way to help her is magic."

"You expect me to trust you?"

"I expect you to care enough about her safety to put aside your preconceived notions and _let me heal her._"

Tony hesitated, entirely torn and unable to think straight. "Why would you help her?"

Loki sighed, glancing around again quickly even though there was no one nearby and in general people seemed willing to ignore them. "Because helping her helps you and, in case you genuinely have lost all your intelligence, that is a good thing for me right now."

"You can help her?"

"There is bleeding in her brain and in her lungs. No doctor of yours is going to be able to heal the damage in time."

Tired, terrified and entirely out of options, Tony nodded very slowly. "If you hurt her, I'll kill you myself."

"I have no doubt," Loki told him, his eyes already on the redhead between them. He gripped her hand in one of his and put his other palm against her cheek, closing his eyes in intense concentration. Small amounts of green light spilled out from the places their skin connected.

When Pepper gasped awake, hacking against the dust in her airways, Tony almost collapsed, the emotions roaring through him too much to take. Loki pulled his hands back but didn't stand up, his tanned skin looking paler than it had before and his green eyes somehow dimmer. Tony didn't see that though, his whole being fixed on Pepper's eyes as they flickered open and took in her boyfriend's face. Her lips rose slightly into a soft smile.

"What..." She tried, her voice worn out and frail. Tony wanted to reply, tell her everything that had happened but he was too overcome with emotions to even form the words. He shook his head instead, pulling her into a hug and burying his face in her neck. She held him without comment – whether because she couldn't talk or because she didn't want to, Tony didn't know – her breath reassuring against his ear.

"She needs to sleep," Loki said after a moment. "The healing is tiring for both participants but she will be fine in a few days."

Tony looked up as the god made to move away, vaguely noticing the way his hands were shaking minutely. "Thank you," he told him and it was the most honest gratitude he had ever given. Loki hesitated but nodded slightly.

Pepper chirped slightly, alarmed all of a sudden as she tried to shuffle back into Tony's chest. The engineer looked down at her, confused and saw the way her eyes were fixed on Loki's; the two had never met before but there was obviously some level of recognition there.

"No, Pepper, it's alright," he told her quickly, rubbing her arm comfortingly. "He helped you. It's okay."

She looked up at him as though he was crazy, still trying futilely to move closer to him (or away from Loki depending on how you looked at it). Loki for his part was watching Pepper with a look that spoke of familiar resignation, as though he had spent his life seeing people react to him in this way and he could no longer be surprised by the fear and disgust in the redhead's eyes.

'_God,' _Tony thought, _'that's probably the truth.' _

"Pepper," he said again, trying to calm her. "He _saved_ you. Everything's alright."

She looked at Loki steadily for a long moment before she allowed some of the tension to seep out of her, relaxing against Tony's chest. "Then I owe you thanks," she said, her voice still raspy.

Loki's lips quirked briefly into something that might once have been a smile. "It is not necessary. Consider it an apology of my own." He glanced around again, his eyes fixing on something over Tony's shoulder and widening in genuine surprise, lips parting with a soft huff of air.

"Mr Stark!" Tony turned at the voice, feeling a wide smile pulling across his face as he took in a familiar figure.

"I was wondering when you were going to stop pretending to be dead," he observed, allowing Pepper to use him to pull herself into a sitting position so she could see the SHIELD agent walking towards them.

"My boss decided I deserved an extended holiday for services rendered," Coulson told him, coming to a stop beside the billionaire and glancing with concern at Pepper. He entirely ignored the man that 'killed' him. "Are you alright?"

"Perfectly fine," Pepper reassured him, swallowing a few times to try and make her voice more level. "A little thirsty perhaps."

Coulson smiled. "I imagine that can be remedied with ease." He turned disapproving eyes on Tony. "You were supposed to stay in contact with the team."

It was only then that Tony remembered his sort-of-promise to Steve and he instantly felt guilty. So wrapped up in finding Pepper as he had been, he'd entirely forgotten the rest of the world. Pepper flicked his shoulder in annoyance and he shrugged at her.

"I was distracted."

"Be that as it may, I feel I should inform you that the Captain has a few words to say to you," Coulson told him and Tony flinched. Ahh, he was in trouble. It was only then that the agent turned towards Loki would was still perched there, too stunned by the appearance of a man he had thought dead to make himself scarce. "And who are you?"

Despite being entirely thrown for a loop – something the god was unused to – he recovered quickly. "Roy. Roy Lucas," he said, still using that strange accent. "I work here."

Tony had to turn to Pepper then so that Coulson wouldn't see the wide grin that spread across his face. Roy Lucas. _King Loki. _And people said the god didn't have a sense of humour.

"Were you in the building when the explosions went off?"

"I had just left. I came back when I realised what had happened."

Coulson was watching Loki strangely, eyes narrowed in suspicion. Tony felt himself tensing in anticipation – if he could recognise the god then there was a change the agent could too.

"What were you doing at work so late?"

"I've been working on plans for the StarkPhone. With being so close to launch there's a lot to be done and so many of us have been working late, making sure everything is in place." Tony would have frowned at Loki had it not been so obvious. Apparently the god had been keeping up to date with what was happening in his company – and that was easily enough to start setting off alarm bells.

It seemed though that it was enough for Coulson. He turned back to Tony. "Very well. I have to coordinate with the local police force. I imagine someone can see to it that the two of you are taken care of."

"I thought I killed him," Loki said bluntly once the agent was out of hearing range. Pepper stiffened slightly at the reminder but Tony was just too damn tired to deal with anymore crap that night so he shrugged.

"Officially you did. Unofficially he's been on leave for the last few months after a rather lengthy stay in hospital. SHIELD wanted it kept quiet but I guess they've given up on that plan."

"They wanted it kept secret and yet they told you?"

"God no, Fury doesn't tell me anything. I hacked their systems and found out about it." He turned back to Pepper, helping her to her feet and supporting her as best he could. She was able to stand but that fatigue Loki had been talking about was setting in and she swayed slightly. "Come on, we'll get you to a hotel or something. After this, you're staying at the tower," he told her, knowing that if there was someone gunning for him then Loki being around was the lesser of two evils. Hell, having him around might actually help.

The god let them go, wandering in the other direction until he was out of sight of everyone else before he allowed green light to engulf him. When Tony next looked over, he was gone.

* * *

The next few days were stressful and found Tony wishing they were over. He and Pepper had spent the night in a hotel – he bought out the entire floor so that the Avengers had somewhere to crash without being disturbed – before he sent her home the next day. He stayed behind with the team (sans Bruce and Natasha who went back with Pepper to make sure Loki wasn't destroying the place in their absence) to help with clean up efforts and to try and figure out what the hell had happened.

In short, their security system had been tampered with. Tony had never connected Jarvis to the Stark Industries network directly, though he could monitor basic data streams, and as such the security wasn't as tight as it was in the tower. That being said, it was still the best in the world.

It shouldn't have happened.

"It had to have been an inside job," Tony told Fury. "It's not possible to hack our systems remotely and you can't just stroll into our server rooms – they have electronic locks and deadbolts, not to mention armed guards patrolling the lower levels."

"You're certain?"

"Positive. I know you think I'm too big headed to acknowledge my own mistakes but I'm not wrong about this. I wrote the security encryptions myself."

"Looks like you need to do some cleaning house," Fury told him grimly. "SHIELD will supply any resources you need."

Tony nodded in thanks, letting his mind wander as Steve started talking about damages and coordination of the teams working to get the power working again.

Over the last few days he'd not found time to think about what had happened that night, or what it all might mean. Kingpin apparently wanted to piss him off – mission fucking accomplished you dick – and Loki really seemed to want to help the team, not just against Thanos but in other matters too. Perhaps he was just trying to build up a certain amount of good will to cement his end of the bargain but it didn't matter. He'd saved Pepper. Tony was entirely willing to uphold this deal now, and he'd defend the god from the team if it came to that.

'_Is that trust?' _A voice in his head mocked him. _'Haven't we already been down this route?' _He politely told that voice to shut its face.

When he was finally given the freedom to return to New York he practically ran to his suit. Normally for a journey such as this he would fly manually but he decided he wanted the time to think so he told Jarvis to plot a course and allowed the suit to carry him home. As soon as he landed he was met with Pepper who embraced him gently, murmuring words of comfort in his ear. They had been apart for far too long and the absence had weighed on them both.

"Welcome home," she told him, smiling brilliantly.

"How are you?" His eyes drank in her face with delight.

"Well, actually. Still a little tired but Loki told me that was normal and not to worry about it. He's... not what I expected."

"You've got that right," he admitted, smiling at her before his happiness faded into remembered worry. "I almost lost you Pepper."

"But you didn't," she said firmly. "Isn't that what you always tell me from a hospital bed after a difficult mission? Well, it was your damn turn to worry." Her vague annoyance was adorable and he chuckled, letting the worry slide off him. She was safe, he was safe, who the hell cared what had almost happened?

"Promise not to do it again?"

"I don't know," she teased. "You're kind of cute when you're all worried like this. I could get used to it."

He kissed her then, treasuring the soft slide of her skin against his and the way her hair tickled his cheeks. When he pulled away he memorised the way her face looked just before she opened her eyes again, happy and open and loving.

"It's good to be home."

* * *

There was still a part of his mind telling him that he was being completely insane but once Tony had set his mind on something it was hard to dissuade him. And so it was that he was knocking on Loki's door at two in the morning, knowing from Jarvis that the god was still awake.

He'd almost given up hope of being answered when the door creaked open slightly, not enough to allow him entry, and Loki was there, looking at him like he was trying to mentally blow him to bits. He probably could actually. It was enough of an incentive to get him talking.

"So, I know that you probably hate me for any number of things and at this point you're probably entitled to but I needed to thank you."

Loki didn't do anything for a moment before he sighed and moved away from the door, leaving it open. Tony took that as an invitation to enter the room but he lingered near the doorway, still unsure about being in this room when the last time had ended so horrifically.

"As I told Miss Potts, it is unnecessary."

"I don't care. You saved her, whatever it was that you did. You didn't need to and it gained you nothing but you did it anyway."

"I like to think it gained me something like trust," Loki retorted, watching him carefully from where he had settled on the end of his bed, propping himself up on his hands.

Tony had to concede that. "It did but you didn't need it. You had the deal. I wasn't about to back out of it because you were unpredictable. We know you're telling the truth about Thanos and against something like that... honestly? Whatever we think of you pales in comparison."

"Sometimes – rarely I must admit – I do not act out of need. I act because I desire something," Loki told him. It sounded as though he had expected this conversation and he could predict exactly what Tony would say. It was unnerving.

"You wanted me to trust you?"

"Perhaps. Maybe I just wished to remove active dislike. This cohabitation is easier for all involved when I don't have people pointing weapons at me every time I open my mouth."

Tony didn't know how to reply to that exactly. He took his time formulating a response while the god waited patiently. "You can't blame Barton for hating you," he said eventually, figuring that bluntness was the best course of action. "And I don't think Widow trusts anyone. Steve and Bruce can only be won over through actions – which I suppose you've done." There was no point in talking about Thor when they both knew there was nothing Loki could do to break the love he held for his brother.

"And as such my position here is somewhat more stable. You all seem to forget that I was the one to start this agreement. I need it just as much as you and if this is my best shot at killing Thanos once and for all, I will do everything I can to ensure it works. Right now, ending his life is the only thing that matters to me."

"And when he's dead?"

Loki hesitated then, apparently unprepared for this question. "After that? I think... I think for the first time in my life I don't have a plan."

* * *

_I don't even know. I hate it but I can't be bothered to write another chapter. I needed this to get places so I rushed it because it seemed to be moving too slowly. Ah well._

_About the Roy Lucas thing, some people have been asking about it. The name Roy derides from the French word Roi, meaning king. Lucas is a latin name that eventually became Luke. Though there's not really any evidence to support the link, many people believe that Loki was the Ancient Norse version of Lucas/Luke and since no one really knows the truth I'm going to assume they're right. Apologies for any confusion._


End file.
